Keeping an eye on you

KEY POINTS

• It is not just friends and family who read tweets and Facebook posts.
• The US Internal Revenue Service use data mining software to check taxpayer profiles.
• Fighting boastful but inaccurate digital information.
• Educate clients about the impact of their internet presence.

Privacy was once something people took for granted. Tax evaders were as likely to be brought down by a disgruntled ex-spouse or employee as by an eagle eyed tax inspector.

Only somebody within an individual’s inner circle was likely to know about their excessive spending patterns luxurious lifestyle and oddly successful “failing” company.

Now however as everybody’s electronic footprint widens exponentially reams of previously private information is available. People regularly worry about identity theft but what about the threat of correct identification? Various government departments and commercial...