International Data Privacy Day 2021
Today is Data Privacy Day! A little mark in the calendar to highlight the importance of looking after our personal information.
A lot of our lives are spent online, and most of our activities involve trading our personal information for something in return. It could be a cookie storing your location and preference of kitchenware, or your views on human rights or the climate catastrophe.
And as the world massively shifted online as a result of the pandemic, so too did the amount of our really personal information, such as health records, financial details, voting systems, payments, and personal conversations.
Data breaches seem to happen all the time. But there are things we can do to help make sure we’re not swept up in them:
Personal info is like money: Value it. Protect it
Purchase history, IP address, or location, has tremendous value to businesses – just like money. Make informed decisions about whether or not to share your data with certain businesses by considering the amount of personal information they are asking for, and weighing it against the benefits you may receive in return.
Keep tabs on your apps
Many apps ask for access to personal information, such as your geographic location, contacts list and photo album, before you can use their services. Be thoughtful about who gets that information, and wary of apps that require access to information that is not required or relevant for the services they are offering. Delete unused apps on your internet-connect devices and keep others secure by performing updates.
Manage your privacy settings
Check the privacy and security settings on web services and apps and set them to your comfort level for information sharing. Each device, application or browser you use will have different features to limit how and with whom you share information.
