Transaction privacy and security: How does e-commerce affect my privacy

E-commerce is the buying and selling of goods and services on the Internet, especially the World Wide Web (www). When we, as a consumer buy or sell thing online which involve registration, IP address, we are actually involve in e-commerce or in other word, we are part of e-market.

How does transaction privacy and security affect our privacy? 
As we involve in e-commerce, when we access to some website for free, we usually click on agree to all during our registration or signing up session. Yet, in the term and conditions, there is a condition where we agree to receive targeted ads. With this, the company or that particular website can track your online activities and determine which ads to show you.
This is actually using SPYWARE.

So, what is Spyware?

Spyware is Internet jargon for Advertising Supported software (Adware). This usually involves the tracking and sending of data and statistics via a server installed on the user's PC and the use of your Internet connection in the background. It is a way for shareware authors to make money from a product, other than by selling it to the users. There are several large media companies that offer them to place banner ads in their products in exchange for a portion of the revenue from banner sales. Adware is the product of spyware but it is not all.
There are also products that do display advertising but do not install any tracking mechanism on your system. These products are not indexed in our database. Some users who didn't notice the term and condition might think the advertisement is annoying, however, it is not an illegal software. Due to privacy concern, users might object to it and prefer not to be tracked. 

Cookies?

Cookies on internet is not like what we always eat during tea-break. It is not as nice as that.



Another affect on consumer is due to cookies. Cookies are inherently harmless. They are simple text files that help coordinate the remote website servers and your browser to display the full range of features offered by most contemporary websites. These features include all your activities on internet. As cookie technology evolves along with website publishing and advertisement technology, privacy issues are sure to arise time and again. Third party (people who supply the cookies) will be able to access to users’ personal information and figure out their behavior. 

As a conclusion, cookies and spyware do have bad consequences to users as people usually don't like being tracked. Even though there is no harm, people like to have privacy and didn't want other to monitor what they are browsing. However, they have some benefit towards users as well. It makes us to use computer more convenience as it helps us to stored our ID and password on computer in cookies. Besides, if I am the owner of webpage, I can easily approach to my potential client using cookies.


Not feeling comfortable with cookies and spyware? Get rid from it. There are few websites suggest how to remove or prevent it. As shown in below.

Related links:
1) http://www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security/spyware-remove.aspx

2)http://www.pcworld.com/article/129094/how_to_remove_spyware_from_your_pc.html

3) http://www.wikihow.com/Clear-Your-Browser%27s-Cookies