Personal Data In The Technological Age
Since the Cambridge Analytica scandal, data protection has become serious business. The collection of personal data has expanded beyond what anyone could have imagined.
In the technological age, our constant internet connections, fitness trackers and social media attachment is making collecting our personal data easier, which is increasingly being exploited by corporations and governments.
These data collectors try to convince us of an easier, more convenient lifestyle, taking in our characteristics, behaviours and relationships however the risk of misuse is a major concern.
The political firm Cambridge Analytica is a prime example of personal information being misused as they obtained political opinions of over 50 million Facebook users in attempt to influence voter behaviour in the 2016 US presidential election.
The fear for consumers at this stage, even since the European General Data Protection Regulations act is the quantity of data companies have about us and that data already collected could still be leaked. For example, Acxiom analytics which collects and analyses product purchase data has collected data related to private personal healthcare, even though they have no access to healthcare data.
Privacy does not have to be the inevitable price of technology, in fact technology can enhance privacy better than traditional controls whilst continuing to maintain accuracy of analysis. When thinking about personal data and technology, it is important to frequently review and adapt practices to address new risks and protect your personal data.
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