Privacy & Your Personal Data

Image taken from Blue Coat Photos on Flickr

Online privacy has become a hot button issue in the news. We now hear about companies accessing our data and selling it to third parties. It's certainly a scary thought. While it can be easy to just blame tech companies for our lack of privacy, I truly believe privacy is a two-way street. I recently watched a TedTalk by Juan Enriquez where he talked about our online presence as an 'electronic tattoo.' If you think about a tattoo and what it means, it means permanent. What we choose to post online will always be there. We do not have a magic erase button to eliminate an online mistake. Additionally, this means that our lives are a whole lot less private because we choose to share such intimate information.

I think it is important to ask the question: what is the difference between giving up your privacy on social media versus a tech company selling data that you willingly provided? The main difference is that many people do not realize their simple on-line searches and postings provide their personal data to a third party. The things you Google, your online purchases, and the obvious, social media, are all components that make up your personal online information. It is necessary for everyone to educate themselves on what personal data is because it is one of the first steps to understanding your privacy in the world of online messaging. An article by Louise Matsakis on Wired provides an amazing breakdown of what personal data is, and how it is used.

So, the moral of the story - be more aware. Pay attention to the little things. Read those terms and conditions. Yes, read those things that you simply check the box for in order to move on to a site to purchase a new pair of shoes. Chances are, you will find information on how your personal data will be used and how 'private' a site truly is.