The effort to control what details individuals should reveal about themselves through pictures and e-mails, and the people who should have access to such information has raised concern. Such concerns questions either whether an e-mail can be read or stored by other individuals without permission, or whether other people can trace the websites one has already visited. Additionally, there are also concerns whether visited websites can reveal details concerning users (Moore, 2010). The rights to privacy that individuals are entitled particularly about the internet vary greatly across the globe. Although difficult, internet user can achieve a certain privacy level by not disclosing their personal details. However, there are individuals who would wish to have stronger levels of security. In such a case, they should strive to acquire internet anonymity, which will allow them to access internet without the interference of third parties. In this article, the focus will be on professional guidelines, which would be prudent to recommend to parents and educators, both teachers and administrators, in regards to internet privacy, particularly e-mail, Acceptable Use Policies (AUP), and student pictures. Since the emergence of internet, wide ranges of concerns have been raised concerning privacy.
In most schools, managing confidentiality poses a big challenge to teachers and administrators. The administrators and teachers should always remember they are obliged by ethics to have respect on the privacy of students and maintain high level of confidentiality. However, this obligation may come into conflicts with laws concerning rights of parents to access information on their children's progress. One of the prudent recommendations to parents and educators concerning electronic mail is that the constitution equates e-mails with letters and they are protected from any kind of interference. The fourth amendment to the American constitution restricts any person from interfering with the privacy of the recipient or sender of an electronic mail. As for educators, teachers, and administrators, they should always remember that no authority is supposed to interfere with the privacy accorded to e-mail, and parents are no exception. Prior to accessing any electronic mail, they should always seek the consent of the recipient (Shelly et al, 2009).
Concerning Acceptable Use Policies (AUP), parents and educators should always abide with the rules provided to avoid legal actions that may be taken upon them by the users. The administrators should always remember that in case students use the internet for the wrong reasons, they are likely to be held responsible and actions may be taken. I would recommend administrators to familiarize the students with the AUP statements to avoid violating their policies as much as possible. Teachers should always remind students on how to use the internet and on the type of information, they are allowed to access to avoid doing contrary of AUP expectations and rules. I would recommend that for the students who violate the AUP rules, the service of using the internet should be withdrawn and incase of any serious violation, the administration should not hesitate to involve the authorities. To avoid violations, I would recommend issuance of warnings both verbally, and in written means (Surhone et al, 2010).
On the other hand, whenever student pictures are taken, the administration should always seek permission before posting them or using them for any purpose. For the simple fact that the school activities are open to public, using student photos on websites may be deemed as commercial use. I would recommend that prior to using photos of any student, the administration should seek written permission. Additionally, the administration should not ignore seeking permission from the photographer. I would recommend getting a signed file from the photographer to avoid any problem. This should always be done whether the pictures are meant for promoting the school or not. Although it might appear tedious, it portrays respect for student's privacy (Glisan, 2008).
Since the emergence of internet, wide ranges of concerns have been raised concerning privacy. In order to avoid legal actions, parents, teachers, educators, and administrators are expected to exhibit high level of respect to internet privacy. Concerning e-mails, it is important to seek permission from the parties involved before accessing. The AUP has rules that should be followed to avoid termination of the internet services, similarly, student photos are private, and a signed permission is required prior to using them.