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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
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<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
<head>
<title>Privacy on the Internet</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="helpFileLayout.css"
type="text/css"/>
</head>
<body>
<h1 id="using_privacy_features">Using Privacy Features</h1>
<p>Your browser includes features you can use to enhance the privacy and
security of your personal information. The sections that follow describe how
your browser can help you control cookies, passwords, and images while you
are surfing the Internet.</p>
<p>For information about related &brandShortName; security features, see
<a href="mailnews_security.xhtml">Signing & Encrypting Messages</a> and
<a href="using_certs_help.xhtml">Using Certificates</a>.</p>
<div class="contentsBox">Privacy topics:
<ul>
<li><a href="#privacy_on_the_internet">Privacy on the Internet</a></li>
<li><a href="using_priv_help.xhtml#using_the_cookie_manager">Using the
Cookie Manager</a></li>
<li><a href="using_priv_help.xhtml#using_the_password_manager">Using the
Password Manager</a></li>
<li><a href="using_priv_help.xhtml#encrypting_stored_sensitive_information">Encrypting
Stored Sensitive Information</a></li>
<li><a href="using_priv_help.xhtml#managing_images">Managing Images</a></li>
<li><a href="cs_priv_prefs_popup.xhtml#controlling_popups">Controlling Popups</a></li>
<li><a href="privsec_help.xhtml">Privacy & Security Preferences</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h1 id="privacy_on_the_internet">Privacy on the Internet</h1>
<p>This section summarizes some background information about privacy on the
Internet. It also describes several things you can do to help safeguard your
own privacy. It is not intended to provide a complete description of Internet
privacy issues.</p>
<div class="contentsBox">In this section:
<ul>
<li><a href="#what_information_does_my_browser_give_to_a_web_site">What
Information Does My Browser Give to a Website?</a></li>
<li><a href="#what_are_cookies_and_how_do_they_work">What Are Cookies, and
How Do They Work?</a></li>
<li><a href="#how_can_i_control_web_pages_in_email_messages">How Can I
Control Web Pages in Email Messages?</a></li>
<li><a href="#how_can_i_make_sure_unauthorized_people_dont_use_information_about_me">How
Can I Make Sure Unauthorized People Don't Use Information About
Me?</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<h2 id="what_information_does_my_browser_give_to_a_web_site">What Information
Does My Browser Give to a Website?</h2>
<p>When your browser displays a web page—for example, each time you click
a link or type a URL, or when a web page is displayed in an email
message—it gives certain kinds of information to the website. This
information may include (but is not limited to) your operating environment,
your Internet address, and the page you're coming from.</p>
<h3>Operating Environment</h3>
<p>The website is told something about your operating environment, such as your
browser type and operating system. This helps the website present the page in
the best way for your screen. For example, the website might learn that you
use the French version of SeaMonkey 2.1 on a Windows 2000 computer.</p>
<h3 id="internet_address">Internet Address</h3>
<p>Your browser must tell the website your Internet address (also known as the
Internet Protocol, or IP address) so the website knows where to send the page
you are requesting. The website can't present the page you want to see
unless it knows your IP address.</p>
<p>Your IP address can be either temporary or fixed (static).</p>
<p>If you connect to the Internet through a standard modem that's attached
to your phone line, then your Internet service provider (ISP) may assign you
a temporary IP address each time you log on. You use the temporary IP address
for the duration of your Internet session—for example, until you sign
off or hang up your dial-up connection, or otherwise end your computer's
live connection with the Internet. Each ISP has many IP addresses, and they
assign the addresses at random to users.</p>
<p>If you have DSL, a cable modem, or a fiber-optic connection, you may have a
fixed IP address that you use every time you connect.</p>
<p>Your IP address is not the same as your email address.</p>
<h3>Referring Page</h3>
<p>The website is also told which page you were reading when you clicked a link
to see one of the website's pages. This allows the website to know which
website referred you. Or, as you traverse the website, it allows the website
to know which of its pages you came from.</p>
<p>[<a href="#privacy_on_the_internet">Return to beginning of section</a>]</p>
<h2 id="what_are_cookies_and_how_do_they_work">What Are Cookies, and How Do
They Work?</h2>
<p>A cookie is a small bit of information used by some websites. When you
visit a website that uses cookies, the website might ask your browser to place
one or more cookies on your hard disk.</p>
<p>Later, when you return to the website, your browser sends back the cookies
that belong to the website.</p>
<p>When you are using the default cookie settings, this activity is invisible
to you, and you won't know when a website is setting a cookie or when
your browser is sending a website's cookie back. However, you can set
your preferences so that you will be asked before a cookie is set. For
information on how to do this, see
<a href="using_priv_help.xhtml#cookies">Privacy & Security Preferences -
Cookies</a>.</p>
<h3>How Do Websites Use Cookie Information?</h3>
<p>Cookies allow a website to know something about your previous visits. For
example, if you typically search for local weather or purchase books at a
website, the website may use cookies to remember what city you live in or what
authors you like, so it can make your next visit easier and more useful.</p>
<p>Some websites publish privacy policies that describe how they use the
information they gather.</p>
<h3 id="what_are_third-party_cookies">What Are Third-Party Cookies?</h3>
<p>If your browser stores a website's cookie, it will return the cookie
only to that particular website. Your browser will not provide one website
with cookies set by another. Since a website can only receive its own cookies,
it can learn about your activities while you are at that website but not your
activities in general while surfing the Web.</p>
<p>But sometimes a website displays content that is hosted on another website.
That content can be anything from an image to text or an advertisement.
The other website that hosts such elements also has the ability to store a
cookie in your browser, even though you don't visit the website directly.
</p>
<p>Cookies that are stored by a website other than the one you are visiting are
called <strong>third-party cookies</strong> or <strong>foreign
cookies</strong>. Websites sometimes use third-party cookies with
<strong>transparent GIFs</strong>, which are special images that help websites
count users, track email responses, learn more about how visitors use the
website, or customize your browsing experience. (Transparent GIFs are also
known as web beacons or web bugs.)</p>
<p>If you want, you can adjust your cookie preferences so that websites can
store ordinary cookies but not third-party ones.</p>
<p>[<a href="#privacy_on_the_internet">Return to beginning of section</a>]</p>
<h2 id="how_can_i_control_web_pages_in_email_messages">How Can I Control Web
Pages in Email Messages?</h2>
<p>You can disable cookies, images, and plugins completely (JavaScript is
always disabled) for web pages that are received as part of email
messages.</p>
<p>While it may be convenient to enable some or all of these capabilities when
you're browsing the web, they may not be necessary in single web pages
sent as attachments to messages.</p>
<p>For information on enabling or disabling cookies, images, and plugins in
email messages, see the following sections:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="using_priv_help.xhtml#cookies">Privacy & Security
Preferences - Cookies</a></li>
<li><a href="mailnews_preferences.xhtml#message_display">Mail & Newsgroups
Preferences - Message Display</a></li>
<li><a href="cs_nav_prefs_advanced.xhtml#scripts_and_plugins">Advanced
Preferences - Scripts & Plugins</a></li>
</ul>
<p>[<a href="#privacy_on_the_internet">Return to beginning of section</a>]</p>
<h2 id="how_can_i_make_sure_unauthorized_people_dont_use_information_about_me">How
Can I Make Sure Unauthorized People Don't Use Information About Me?</h2>
<p>The best way to keep your information private is to read the privacy
policies for the websites you visit and the Internet services you use, and
to be cautious about giving out your personal information online.</p>
<p>The Internet is a public network. When you send your name, phone number,
address, and other personal information over the network (via a web page,
email, or any other method), it is possible that someone else may be able to
intercept it.</p>
<p>Here are some questions you might ask about a website's privacy
policy:</p>
<ul>
<li>What kinds of personal information is this website gathering?</li>
<li>How will the website use the information?</li>
<li>Will the website share the information with others and do I have choices
regarding the use of any shared information?</li>
<li>Can I access some or all of the information a website gathers about me, in
order to inspect or update it?</li>
<li>How does the website protect the information?</li>
<li>How do I contact the website if I have questions or problems?</li>
</ul>
<p>[<a href="#privacy_on_the_internet">Return to beginning of section</a>]</p>
</body>
</html>
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