12/02/12, 13:49:41 EST

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NYPIRG Offers Online Consumer Travel Advice

zwire.com

During the holiday season, as many people rush to make last-minute travel plans, the likeliness of Internet credit card fraud and identity theft can rise, according to local officials.

Recognizing this issue, the New York Public Interest Research Group conducted and officially released a report called "Privacy Policies in the Travel Industry" on November 15. The study examined and rated the privacy policies of major travel websites and offered consumer advice for booking travel plans on the Internet.

"What we're trying to do is raise awareness about different kinds of privacy issues online," said Matthew Hynes, a consumer advocate for NYPIRG - a not-for-profit, student-directed agency that promotes consumer, environmental and governmental reform. One goal the organization is pursuing is online consumer protection.

Identity theft, particularly during the holidays, is the most frequently reported Internet crime, Hynes explained. Approximately 63% of individuals book their travel plans through websites. About two months ago, NYPIRG reviewed 275 airline, travel agency, hotel and car rental privacy policies. "The purpose of it is to raise awareness, not to target a specific website," Hynes stated.

Taking a hands-on approach, one intern at NYPIRG, Sinead Wapkins, participated in the research and recently discussed the review of online privacy policies of travel agencies. Wapkins logged onto major travel websites and reviewed the company's privacy policy. She looked for simple and straightforward language in the disclaimer. However, if a privacy policy was not found on the website, Wapkins would contact the agency and ask what the privacy policy entailed, noting whether or not representatives gave straightforward explanations.

Based on these observations, NYPIRG developed two classifications to distinguish online travel privacy policies, giving them "steel door" and "screen door" ratings, said Hynes. Steel door ratings were given to Internet agencies that secured personal information. These companies also allowed consumers to opt out of sharing agreements. According to Hynes, the majority of websites exhibited strong privacy policies. However, a few had questionable privacy policies and received screen door ratings. If a website received a screen door ranking, this indicated that the agency had a "very weak" privacy policy, he added.

"Overall, I found the legal terms used in the privacy policy weren't always as straightforward as they could be," Wapkins stated. If a disclaimer was not available on the Internet, and representatives gave a confusing explanation, these companies received a screen door rating. Other features that characterize screen door ratings include policies that allow information to be shared with non-affiliates, third parties or undisclosed sources, Wapkins said. In addition, websites that allowed personal information to be altered were flagged by NYPIRG.

Varying complications could arise from using travel websites with poor privacy policies, Wapkins stated. The most obvious is identity theft. However, other problems include receiving unwanted junk mail or Internet "cookies" - a piece of data that is saved to a computer's browser. To avoid credit card scams and identity theft, both Hynes and Wapkins offered a series of recommendations.

Reading a company's disclaimer before submitting personal and financial information was Hynes's first suggestion. In addition, checking to see how information is used, and shared, will reduce the chances of fraud. After a purchase is made, it also is useful to check bank statements or credit reports, Hynes noted.

"Just having your information out there, in this day and age, is something to be concerned about," said Wapkins. To find out more information about avoiding consumer fraud online, visit www.nypirg.org or www.cyberstreetsmart.org.

 Printable Version  | published Nov 28, 2007