Hi all! Personal data security isn’t something new but since the pandemic, more activities are moving online. With the increasing use of mobile devices, the risk of personal data breach isn’t something to overlook. For this project, I look into relevant topics including data (in)security, data economy, and also a new ways of empowering users with data literacy.
You can find my site here: https://etec523personaldata.wordpress.com/. Thank you!
A3 – Personal Data: Should You Be Worried?
19 responses to “A3 – Personal Data: Should You Be Worried?”
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This is an incredibly salient topic that only becomes more important with time. With the advent of Web 2.0 I found that many of the younger people (the youngest of the millennials and the zoomers/Gen Z) threw all the caution to the wind due to social media and the evolution of online identity. But that’s just surface level things to worry about – this OER does a wonderful job of explaining how even the most cautious of us still end up having much of our information siphoned away by unknown entities doing unknown things with the information. The resources within are very eye-opening for many of us and I encourage you to try out “Trace my Shadow” and “Privacy Test” to give you a personal taste!
Hi Pei,
I liked the two sites you showed at the beginning to gain a handle on data security. Have you heard of this one to see if you’re email/passwords have been compromised? https://haveibeenpwned.com/
Data privacy is such an enormous topic that still needs a lot of education/policies to surround it – I love the privacy label you shared. I’ve never seen one before.
Hi Adrian,
Thanks for reviewing my site! Aiann also shared the same website and I will add it to my additional resources after this term. Thanks for recommending it. : )
Hello Pei.
This is a very important topic. Thank you for sharing the information.
Although it seems reasonable, however, I’ve never realized that there is a data market where people are working as trackers, brokers, and buyers. Any information can be bought and sold in the market at a price. It successfully reminds me of how important data security is, however, like many others, I have no idea how to protect myself. I’ve never read the privacy policies because it is so long and full of jargons.
The privacy nutrition label is another fruitful idea. I guess it is not widely accepted because most people like me have no clear idea about the critical role of data security and literacy in our digital life.
Due to the limitation of the length, you have only scratched the surface of this topic. I believe you must have done much research, and what you have presented is the most meaningful knowledge. It works great for me to start thinking about data security and literacy. Your additional readings provide even more knowledge.
I especially like this quote “On the other hand, users are most likely see news articles that are aligned with their political views. The danger of creating an echo chamber and the risk of falling for ‘fake news’ could be far greater than we can imagine.” This is exactly what I am feeling about YouTube and Spotify and other social media. I feel that they are collecting the history and pushing me the videos and music that is very similar to my interest, which is annoying. This “echo chamber” is indeed narrowing rather than expand my scope. These web services are pushing what one “likes” to know instead of what one “should” know to attract users to stay longer and watch more. However, it destroys the enjoyment of exploring diversities.
Well done! Thank you!
Yi
Hi Yi,
Thanks for visiting my site! I’m glad to hear the information I presented here generates your interests in learning more about how to protect your own data and that’s always a good start! I think something we like to think is we have the final say of the information we want to take in but is that always the truth? Or maybe we are simply choosing whatever information the algorithm picked and presented in front of us? So much to think here!
Hi Pei,
Thanks for sharing the personal data privacy resources (and scaring me with those tests!).
I played around with the Trace my Shadow test to see what you’d need to do, to get the lowest number of traces. Aside from living in a cave off-grid, you would need to:
– Use a GNU/Linux computer
– Only access the internet at home
– Have a Basic Voice/SMS phone or an E-Reader
– Use WhatsApp or Skype for messaging
All of the options above are fairly basic in technology usage. It seems there’s a potential opportunity in a technology that has all the bells-and-whistles (high-speed connectivity, social networking, multimedia, e-commerce) but has a minimal impact on users’ data privacy. I’m not sure if such a technology could ever exist.
One resource suggestion I have is: Have i been pwned? (https://haveibeenpwned.com/) which lets you check if your email address has been previously compromised, based on reported security breaches.
Hi Aiann, i was quite shocked to see that the test revealed WhatsApp should be used for messaging. I don’t know why but my perception of WhatsApp is yes- it’s encrypted but the platform belongs to Facebook, notoriously known for their collection of data and some shady dealings that are increasingly coming to light in their use of that data. I think this might highlight the multi-dimensionality of data privacy that must be considered.
Hi Aiann and Carla!
Aiann, I’m glad I scared you with those tests because that was exactly how I felt when I first went through them. :p Thanks for recommending me the site and I was hesitant to enter my email address first after reading all the articles about how some sites would trick you into giving your personal information. The downside of reading too much on personal data breach! It turned out my primary email address is safe and that gives me a peace of mind.
Same as Carla, I share the surprise on how WhatsApp is considered the safer option for messaging. This conversation reminds me of SnapChat and how secure it actually is. SnapChat is widely popular among young people, especially teenagers, and its nature of how messages will disappear after viewing is one reason why it is able to attract users. However, it was shown that someone with some technical background would be able to recover those supposedly gone images and conversations. Safe to assume nothing is private online.. for now.
Hi Pei, good job on your A3. It is still mind blowing to me how much personal data one can find on the computers these days. I really liked the test and was surprised with how much information the computer knew about me from just clicking go. I know this might not be mind blowing for some but as a primary teacher it was an eye opener for sure as to what our kids put out on the net these days. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Tyler,
Thanks for reviewing my site! I’m glad you enjoyed the test and it is scary indeed. Now knowing the information we share online can be combined for wider use, it does make me think twice before sharing anything.
Hey Pei,
Excellent site, very easy to use. A few thoughts on your A3:
Privacy=Health
I really appreciate the nurtitional label that was included on this page. It makes me think about what eating was like in 1950’s. People were not aware of the health implications of fast food and junk food and so the industry grew and grew to where we are at today. With the increased focus on health and awareness through things like nutritional labels, I wonder if the same will happen with our digital data. Will there be a pushback in the future? Will the data economy be forced to make adjustments to accomodate that pushback. Really, we are still in the wild wild west, and governments are only starting to think about this issue, particularly with how it concerns democratic freedoms (see below).
Echo Chambers
This is something you addressed in your project that I grow increasingly concerned about. Data is already being used to direct users towards articles that are more opinion than hard news. We are growing confused about what is fact and what is opinion. As the Data Economy grows and peoples personal echo chambers become more entrenched, it is important that we teach students about media literacy and bias. I think Data Literacy should be part of this educational process.
Thank you for a fantastic project Pei!
Hi Ben,
Thanks for visiting my site! I agree it can be so overwhelming to think how much impact algorithm already has on our daily life. Fake news has become a word we often use and hear in our generation and the word actually was added to Oxford English Dictionary recently. The effect of echo chambers also means the society can become more polarized and the “us” and “them” gap becomes more salient than before. I feel digital literacy will help users making more conscious choices with their mobile interactions but I also fear not everyone will be so keen on learning more digital literacy. Looking at 5G as an example, I think we still have a long way to go!
Lots to think about here! I certainly learned something about data brokers – that was news to me.
I’ve enjoyed reading the discussion on this page around data security labels. I know I’ve certainly never read any terms and conditions and I see those things as the price we pay for “free” access to sites like Facebook and Instagram.
As for the nutrition labels – would these be along with each app or service we download?
But on to your site! It’s super well laid out and easy to digest. I’m always a fan of the click through option at the bottom of a site’s pages and the topic itself is great as it’s very much something that affects everyone.
Hi Tyler,
Thanks for visiting my website! I first read about data economy and data brokers in an article (https://journalbipolardisorders.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40345-017-0073-9) for my other course and I was very surprised to learn the impact personal data has when it is not managed properly.
The thought is that the nutrition label will come with every product and app people use so users will have the information available to them and they can read it using any mobile device.
Thanks for the kind words and as someone who gets frustrated easily by not knowing where to click on next, I hear you!
Hi Pei,
I agree completely with Carla’s comments and questions. The information you have presented is very useful and relevant. The data security (nutrition) labels you have highlighted are new to me as well, and (in addition to Carla’s questions about justifying bad choices while being informed) I wonder if they would be used as an excuse to justify the lack of stringent measures put forth for the protection of data. Since it says clearly on the label what is and isn’t, then the onus is on the user and not the producer. However, the producer does have responsibility and I wonder if these labels will enable them to shirk that responsibility. Additionally, do you foresee different classes of data labels being formed for different purposes that require different levels of security, for example, police station vs. hospitals vs. schools vs. homes vs. an agency like NASA…. you get the point. How do you foresee these labels being integrated into technology as we go forward – would these be of any use on the devices themselves? You mention in your comment that free apps may be a little lax with security, while paid apps may be more secure. Do you think it is possible for this gap to be bridged going forward? Education on data privacy is important and hopefully, as you mention, when more people are aware, the developers will be bound to ensure more security. This makes critical media literacy ever more important a discussion to have and skills to develop with kids at school.
Lots to think about, but thank you for bringing it up for discussion!
Hi Binal,
Thank you for your feedback and great questions! To be quite honest, I haven’t thought much about the other side of the perspective that having (or saying they have) labeled everything clearly would now shift the responsibility to users and users only. This is similar to when people see signs like “Enter at your own risk” and whether people understand the possible risk they’re taking before enter the premises. Digital literacy and the combination of using privacy nutrition label to me at least, is for people to have a good understanding of the risk (the types of personal data that will be accessed and shared) before they decide whether they want to use certain products or apps. The label is far from perfect especially when people have no choice but to use a specific product. The helpful part is at least users are aware what types of data will be shared and they can attempt to minimize the information they store.
I do think it is possible to bridge the gap moving forward especially given now more people spend a substantial amount of time on their mobile devices, it is catching people’s attention. In fact, Apple recently proposed having privacy nutrition label on its apps and the article here (https://mashable.com/article/apple-privacy-nutrition-labels-ios14/) shared similar concern you and Carla mentioned. The conversations people have on this topic can generate more discussion and that, is a good start to build digital literacy.
Thanks for your response, Pei. I agree – at the very least one should be aware of what they are getting into and what information they may be declaring. I’m concerned that by shifting the responsibility onto the consumer, the producer may not be able to be held legally accountable in case of a breach as the information was already printed on the data labels. Essentially, just makes me think how far we still have left to go. You also mention people who have no choice but to use a specific product – that is a little scary for sure! Definitely a good start to building literacy 🙂
Hi Pei, gosh… if I knew you were going to work on a data privacy project, we could have collaborated. 🙂 Thank you for the beautifully curated website, I think it provides a great overview of the current state of affairs regarding issues of data privacy. I particularly like the idea of the Data Nutrition Label- I hadn’t seen that before. My question though is whether those labels (if they ever become mainstream) like their food counterparts will be consulted only by a select few (those caring about issues of data privacy) or will they be able to become truly mainstream and see almost everyone consulting them before installing their next app. Despite food nutrition labels being around for who knows how long, my perception has been that only a select few consult them when they go out to purchase products and those that want to consume something bad for them, end up doing it anyway. Why? Because either the product is so alluring they cannot resist and then “justify” the indulgence or the marketing of the product has been so cleverly conceived that people just have to have it. No matter the fact that as a modern society I would say we are far more knowledgeable about things like nutrition than what we were 15-20 years ago. What I’m trying to get at it is- will this be the same for the data economy? Will people become more knowledgeable but still end up justifying bad choices? Is there more that we should maybe be doing than just informing and educating others on data privacy. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
Hi Carla,
Thanks for your feedback. : ) DSI is such a concept and perhaps I can join you on that? We can chat about that..
Great question on the inclusivity and the effectiveness of data nutrition label! I will see if I could answer the question by going deeper on digital literacy. There are different reasons why people make a choice to use certain product or download an app even though they are fully aware of the potential risk of personal data breach. For some, they might not care too much about it and there are others, who actually don’t want to use the product but feel they don’t have a choice. Let me focus on the second group. The lack of choice could be due to financial reasons (free apps often mean higher chance users’ data will be sold to other companies versus more secured setting to the paid version) or they don’t know how to find the alternative products/apps.
This is when digital literacy comes into play. Knowing how and where to find alternative resources using the internet should be the skill everyone have. Also by equipping more people with the importance of basic knowledge of data privacy, it is the hope that our future app developers or engineers can keep in mind on taking it into consideration.
Now I’m talking out loud (!), I recall an article I read a few months ago regarding the use of Zoom for teaching (https://qz.com/1870272/after-zoom-censorship-us-academics-worry-for-students-in-china/) Perhaps this is similar to your question earlier on whether having the awareness of data privacy would make an impact on people, or in this article, institutions’ decisions on their product choice. There really is no clear solution to this but I do think as of now, many users can benefit from having more exposure on the learning of data privacy. Ifeel I’m going off track with your question but I’d happy to chat more about this!