Did you ever get a text message advertising a new product or a gig and wonder how the sender got your number? You have rights, and you can stop unwanted texts. For more information, see www.dataprotection.ie/viewdoc.asp?m=m&fn=/documents/guidance/spamguide.htm.

Do you ever answer questionnaires or sign-up for competitions and then get irritated by follow-up contacts promoting various goods and products?

Do you play interactive games and get asked for your personal details? Do you love telling others in chat rooms everything about yourself? Did you ever say too much? Did you ever tell a stranger where you live? Your private life is your business and you can share as much information as you like, but make sure you think it through before you share personal details. Remember, if you consent to publish personal information about yourself over the Internet, you never know where it may end up. Think about the implications before you sign up to chat rooms or social networks and check whether there is a way you can make a complaint about material to the owners of a website or request its removal.

The Office of the Data Protection Commission will be working with 12 – 24 year olds to discover what privacy issues may affect you and how greater awareness can help you make more informed choices. Throughout 2007, the Office will conduct research, consult with teens and issue new multi-media guidance material through websites, schools, colleges and other media on data protection and online privacy. For more information about data protection, please go to www.dataprotection.ie.

There is currently a competition on e-privacy being run across Europe and beyond in association with Safer Internet Day 2007. For more information see
http://www.saferinternet.org/ww/en/pub/insafe/news/events/sid2007.htm