Did you know that when you surf the web, websites in some countries put secret software on your computer? The software collects a large amount of information about you and sends it to internet companies. The internet companies sell it to other businesses. Your personal information can also be gathered from social media sites. There are many ways your information can be used.
First, companies collect your information and record all your online habits. They find out where you live, what websites you visit and what you do online. With this information, they can guess other things about you. For example, they can guess if you are male or female, how old you are and what your interests are. The companies use this information to decide which ads are best for you. Two people can go to the same website, but they will see different ads. For example, someone who likes sports could see ads for trainers, and someone who likes films might see ads for a film.
Your personal information could also be sold. Some companies collect information just to sell it to other businesses. A business that collects and sells personal information is called a data broker. When data brokers sell your information, a lot of different companies will know your online habits. Then the companies will advertise products or other websites to you.
Another way your personal information can be collected is through social media. Even if you don’t use social media, a friend might post a picture or video of you with your name on it. Pictures and videos can be shared for free on social media, which is one of the great advantages. However, that same act of sharing could be a problem for your own security (安全). If someone knows too much about you, they steal your identity. Then they can buy things online and post messages while pretending (假装) to be you.
______. The law is finally changing when it comes to technology. In the European Union, for example, they have introduced the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This rule means that internet users can now ask companies to show them what information they have about them and even make them delete it. If other countries do the same, the internet could soon be a much safer place.
【小题1】According to Paragraph 2, what will the companies find by collecting your information?①age and hobbies ②online activities ③address ④job
| A．①②③ | B．①②④ | C．①③④ | D．②③④ |
| A．Data brokers can make little money by selling personal information. |
| B．Data brokers can’t get any information from a video with your name. |
| C．According to GDPR, the internet could soon be a safer place for all of us. |
| D．Different people can see different ads on the same website when on line. |
| A．However, it’s not all bad news. |
| B．Anyway, every coin has two sides. |
| C．Actually, different people have different opinions. |
| D．Indeed, people believe things are changing for the worse. |
| A．what personal information may be collected online |
| B．how companies buy and sell our personal information |
| C．laws have been made to protect our personal information online |
| D．we should keep away from social media to protect our personal information |
