Privacy and Personal Data

 

Data privacy or information privacy is a branch of data security concerned with the proper handling of data – consent, notice, and regulatory obligations. More specifically, practical data privacy concerns often revolve around how the data is being shared with third parties and the legality of its collection and storage. The world runs on transactions. Buying and selling. What's more important than introducing your product in a new market to try and gather customers? Introducing your product in a new market with guaranteed customers. And how are these customers guaranteed? Big Data. 

When you shop at Amazon, do you ever see a "customers like you also bought ...."? The item being introduced to you have a higher chance of being sold than to a random customer. It's very simple in how it works, but extremely effective. Look at it this way: A company "X" does not have any information on its customers and their interests. In contrast, a company "Y" has collected large amounts of data over years of doing business with its customers. Company X tries to market its newly launched personal assistant device, Alexah, to 20 random consumers. These 20 consumers include a bunch of non-tech savvy 90 something-year-olds with no interest in tech personal assistants. The rest of the group includes a few pet lovers who only buy pet food from the company, a few professors, and some athletes with no prior tech-oriented purchases. Company Y, on the other hand, tries to market its newly launched personal assistant Siriy to 20 tech geeks with tons of tech purchases from the company. Which personal assistant device is more likely to be sold out quicker?

 

The personal data we give (or rather is taken from us) is extremely important to companies in the business of selling and buying. But that's not where it ends, Governmental institutions are also very keen on collecting, and storing this data. This data can be used, again, to sell political agendas or just to keep on top of those being governed.