Privacy policy legislation affects internet banking in the same way it does any other type of banking establishment. You might want to keep your personal information private. If you do, it is good to know how your bank treats privacy.
A study was done to determine how well different banks, including internet banking institutions, dealt with privacy policy. All loan companies should have privacy policies that are consumer friendly. This is in keeping with the spirit in the law.
The law in question is the Gramm-Leach-Blily Act, or GLB, as it is known as. This was enacted by Congress in July of 2001. It gives capacity to financial institutions to conduct business in several important ways.
More importantly to consumers, you will find there’s section devoted to the privacy of banking customers, including internet banking customers. Banks must provide consumers having a copy of their privacy policy. This explains how your own information will be used by internet banking operations and other banks.
Your personal information would include any information that can be referred to as your particular information. It could be your reputation, address, social security number, internet banking transactions you cash in on in your name, and other information. It could also be any information that may be guessed by having some of this information.
The study evaluated bricks and mortar banks, clicks to bricks banks, virtual bank internet banking operations, and other financial institutions. It compared each company’s privacy policy, how they informed consumers about their privacy, and what options consumers had with them to “opt-out.”
If you opt-out, you’re saying to the company you do not want your information to be shared with other companies that are not affiliated with the financial institution. Under GLB, internet banking services still the option of sharing your information with affiliates and marketing partners, nonetheless they should inform you that they are this.
One problem has been that this privacy policy statements sent out to consumers by internet banks and other banks have been impossible for many people to decipher. They are not exactly a straightforward read. There is a movement to make them easier to understand.
Another problem is some internet banking companies make it very difficult to opt-out of getting their information shared with unrelated businesses. It must be the easiest with online banking. Indeed some internet banks have online forms to submit so that you can be finished with it in short order.
However, some internet banking sites allow it to be nearly impossible to opt-out. They make you want to an 800 number, or write for the mail-in form, or they may not need opt-out at all. These are in the minority, however you should watch for them when you compare online banks.
The good news is that virtual internet banks that offered standard banking services like checking and savings accounts scored the top in the study. If you want to keep the information private, check out your online banking institution’s privacy policy before you sign up.