| Other people are able to see which websites you’ve visited, either by checking the history file or temporary files for text, images and e-mails. These files are not automatically deleted when the browser is closed. If you don’t delete the content yourself, other people can snoop around your online activities. The danger that other people will try to access the information you leave behind may be greatest when you use computer equipment at school, in the library or at an Internet cafe. |
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How can they know who I am?
Every time you go online you are assigned an IP address. The Internet service provider records when you are connected and which IP address you have been assigned. The websites also record the IP addresses that visit them. When the police want to investigate who has visited a website, they can check the website’s logs and then ask the Internet service providers for a list of who was using the IP addresses at a given point in time.
Many websites are interested in knowing who visits them, so they save a little file (a cookie) on your computer. Each time you visit the website, it checks whether your computer has such a cookie file, and records the information in it, for example the username and password used to log in to the website. You can refuse permission for websites to save cookies on your machine by adjusting the privacy settings in your browser. But then you risk some websites not working properly. You must decide what is most important: protecting your personal data or accessibility.
What does your school have the right to check?
As a general rule, the school may not use the computer system’s log function to monitor students’ Internet use. The purpose of the log is to ensure responsible operation of the computer system. Therefore, the log may be used to uncover unwanted online activity without revealing the students' identities. In such instances, the school may use the information in the log to send out warnings that this Internet activity must stop. The school may also consider blocking access to the web pages in question.
The school can demand access to e-mails if it is suspected that these contain information about criminal offences, or if there is reason to believe that a student uses the e-mail for harassment or to distribute spam or viruses. The school should have clear directions for the use of e-mail that the students can adhere to. The students may well be involved in the development of such directions.
