Safeguarding your email privacy.

Whenever you log in to join a forum or make an online purchase, the first thing you are asked to disclose is your email address. Having done that, however, a feeling of uncertainty creeps into your mind. Have you played into their hands? Will you soon be flooded with unwanted mails? Worse still, what if they pass your address to someone else and you are to be inundated with spam? Your fears are not entirely misplaced, but remember that not all sites are interested in spamming you for it is not worth the effort and they also have their reputation at stake.

However, you can play it safe by taking a few precautions. Mark Brownlow, publisher of a top industry site on email marketing, lists the following steps to be taken to find out what makes a website trustworthy.

1. Use your intuition: Sites with good online reputations are careful with your email addresses as they have much to lose if they're accused of spam. Therefore, if you are dealing with a respected website or one that seems to care about its visitors or customers, then they probably follow good email practices. A site with a bad customer service reputation or unprofessional dealing is unlikely to respect your privacy.

2. Do a check: Verify the information given at the sign-up page or sign-up form. Ideally, you should find the following:
   
   
   • a statement about the privacy of your email address.
   • an indication of exactly what kind of emails you'll get (perhaps with an example) and how often you get them.
   
   This lets you make an informed decision whether to hand over your email address or not.
   
   
3. Read the privacy policy small print:  A good privacy policy will be clear about how your email address is going to be used. Make sure you're OK with that. In particular, look for small print stating that your address may be passed on to others. If so, think very hard about submitting your email address. Once you do, you have no control over who else might get it and what they might do with it.
   
   
   
   

4. Clause on partnership companies: Some sites might say that they will send you offers from partner companies as well as themselves. That may not necessarily mean your email address will be passed on to them; it just could be that they send emails on behalf of a third-party, which may not get to see your actual address. This is often the case when, for example, you sign up to an industry newsletter. Interspersed with regular newsletter issues, you might get trade advertisements too.

   
   
5. Check how they get permission: Check how they get your permission to send emails. When you submit your email address, many sites will try and get your approval for sending you other kinds of emails. For instance, when you buy a product they might ask if you'd like to get information on future offers related to that product. How they solicit your agreement is often a good indicator of how respectful they are of your privacy.
   
   
6. Check-box: Check the wording next to the check-box carefully. Most sites ask you to check the box if you want to get something; some if you don't want to get any email from them. The latter practice also shows a lower level of respect for your opinion.
   

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