Participating in the Safer Internet Day (SID) program, the
Bavarian State Office for Data Protection Supervision reviewed
websites with a wide reach and examined the security of user
accounts and the use of tracking tools. Although some of the most
prominent Internet services were reviewed, the results are sobering
from a data protection point of view.
The data protection audit initially focused on the security of
user accounts of the relevant services, in particular examining how
website operators handle their users' passwords. Various types
of online services were examined, including streaming and video
portals, email services, electronics shops, photo services, health
and cosmetics websites, furniture stores, fashion stores, price
comparison sites, and social networks. 22 items were examined with
regard to registration and 17 in connection with login.
