Online privacy is a personal, evolving ethical approach.

Privacy—personal dignity through data security—is more than locating obscure Facebook settings or accepting unread Terms of Service; it’s about creating the kind of world we want to live in with our behaviour.

I’m sometimes privileged to information that belongs to other people, and I’m evolving an ethical approach to handling that sensitive information. Here’s my policy.

“Look away.”

There are times when you can easily read someone’s email, their private messages, their browser history. Don’t even look.

“Gossip a whole lot less.”

For your own sake: what you commit to type can always come back to bite you in the ass, and can make you look bitter, mean or untrustworthy (which is kinda what you’ll be).

For other people’s sake: when I was inspired to visually enhance the Manitoba Time slogan, I didn’t link to the branding document someone sent me. I don’t know that it was top secret, but I suspect heads would be rolling at my agency if staff had inadvertently left it where it could be discovered.

If you think it might get someone in trouble or make them look bad, keep it to yourself.

“Tell ‘em if you can see their unmentionables.”

Let other people know, quickly, tactfully & privately, if they’re exposing a little too much beer snake photography on Facebook. Often people are unaware what laundry they’re airing.

If you had spinachy teeth or you were flashing a little crack, you’d want someone to say something, right?

“Ask permission.”

Get an explicit ok to tweet, blog or update about new projects and other might-be confidential stuff. I figured this out after more than one person looked me in the eye and said “Don’t tweet this”.