Many users wonder whether the website they just want to sign up will treat your private data sensitively. With the browser Firefox, the Mozilla Foundation wants to give an answer.
Therefore, a project has been started whose goal it is to develop some recognizable icons summarizing a site’s Privacy Policy at one glance. Nearly every website has such a policy, but most users simply cannot understand the complicated text.
The icons should give an answer to simple questions, like:
- Are my data handed out to third parties?
- Are my data stored longer than necessary?
- Are my data encrypted?
- Can the site identify me via collected data?
Multiple colors inform the website’s viewpoint of the corresponding questions.
Of course, website owners have to cooperate for the icons to reach their goal. They have to inform how they protect the visitors’ privacy. Mozilla Foundation hopes that they have found convincing arguments due to the widespread usage of Firefox.
Problem is, what website is going to happily let users know “yeah, we sell your data”? With complicated Privacy Policies, 99% of users will never know – and that’s how they want it.
It’d be great if there was an add-on which reads the Privacy Policy then shows you the appropriate icons.