Welcome to the inaugural issue of The TRUSTe Watchdog, TRUSTe’s consumer newsletter!

You’ve signed up for this e-publication because you want to learn more about Internet privacy -- how to protect yourself against identity theft, reduce the amount of spam you receive, and hold commercial Web sites accountable for the information they constantly seem to be requesting from you.

TRUSTe was founded almost a decade ago for precisely this reason: to give you the power to patronize only the organizations that respect your privacy -- and to give companies and nonprofits that do safeguard their consumers’ personal data a way to broadcast their good efforts.

We’re pleased to create this quarterly e-mail newsletter to keep you abreast of cutting-edge issues in Internet privacy. Each issue will contain

• Tips on protecting your personal information
• Definitions of terms you may encounter in the news or online
• Updates on what TRUSTe’s doing and how it affects you
• Profiles of the organizations and people who are working to protect Internet privacy
• Special advice for parents

Feel free to pass The TRUSTe Watchdog on to anyone you know, or forward them a link to www.truste.org/consumers/index.php, where you can read past issues of the newsletter, find additional tips, and, of course, report privacy abusers to TRUSTe.

-- Fran Maier, executive director and president, TRUSTe

What Exactly Does TRUSTe Do?

Now that more than 2,900 Web pages display a TRUSTe seal, you have probably noticed our green-and-black logo somewhere on the Internet. You’re interested enough in TRUSTe to read this newsletter. But many of you may still be wondering: What exactly does TRUSTe do for me?

TRUSTe is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to enabling trust -- trust between Web sites and consumers. We want you to know that companies displaying the TRUSTe seal are serious about the privacy of your personal identification. We work with consumers in three ways:

TRUSTe certifies that Web sites adopt respectful, transparent privacy and email policies. Before we award a Web site our seal, we ensure that the organization provides site visitors with proper notice of its privacy practices. TRUSTe also makes sure that our privacy standards meet state and federal laws and exceed industry norms. In fact, because of our expertise we are often asked to provide comment to Congress and government agencies on privacy legislation.

TRUSTe monitors all sealholders’ privacy practices. Not only do we make sure that member organizations aren’t diverging from the standards they’ve agreed to keep, when companies change their online services or introduce new ones they consult with us to make sure they’re not violating the terms of their sealholder agreement.

TRUSTe’s Watchdog Dispute Resolution service allows consumers to file privacy-related complaints against a sealholder. We then work with both parties to make sure that all disputes are resolved.

Above all, we are here to help you stay safe online!

Web Exclusive:
How Do You Make Sense of All Those Web-Based Seals?

Online shopping is easier than ever -- but unfortunately, so is online fraud. Third-party authentication seals demonstrate that a business to which you entrust your information takes that trust seriously. But many sites display a dizzying array of endorsements -- from Visa and Mastercard logos for payment to the UPS logo for shipping, and everything in between. So what differentiates all of these security, safety, and privacy-related seals?
Read the full article...

Protect Yourself Against Phishing!

Have you ever received a message from a bank or nationally known company that says, “Urgent: Click here to update your contact information or your account will be suspended”? This is an example of a phishing email.

Keep in mind that most companies never contact their customers to ask for their personal information. You can take a few precautions to avoid getting hooked by a phishing scam:

• Never reply to email or pop-up messages that ask for personal or financial information. Don’t even click on links in these messages, or paste the link from the message into your Web browser -- phishers can make links look like they go one place but actually shuttle you onto a different site.
• If you are concerned about your account, contact the organization using a phone number you know to be genuine, or open a new Internet browser window and type in the company’s Web address yourself.
• Immediately forward suspected phishing messages to spam@uce.gov and to the company, bank, or organization the phisher has impersonated.
• If you've been scammed, visit the Federal Trade Commission's Identity Theft Web site at www.consumer.gov/idtheft to figure out what to do next.

Got Feedback?

We would like to hear what you think of the TRUSTe Watchdog. Send an email with your comments and suggestions to newsletter@truste.org.

TRUSTe is an independent, nonprofit organization that administers the Internet's first and largest privacy seal program.

685 Market Street, Suite 270
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 618-3400
Email: privacyseals@truste.org
Web: www.truste.org

The views and opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the contributing authors. TRUSTe presents these views as a service to consumers, and does not necessarily share or endorse these views.