Why Privacy Should Matter to You

Why Care About Data Privacy?

It is important to care about data privacy because one should care about the rules and regulations that revolve around one's sensitive information.

Here are three out of many reasons to care about data privacy in our digital age.

Personal Security and Identity Protection:
It is very important to protect personal information such as addresses or financial details.
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Trust Preservation:
If data breaches and privacy violations occur, it can damage reputations, either personal or professional. Caring about data privacy helps keep trust with individuals.
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Legal Compliance:
There are many regions that have enacted data protection laws. Caring about data privacy allows you to comply with these regulations (GDPR,CCPA).
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What Data is Collected Now?

Location Services
Usage Analytics
Cookies and Tracking Data
Device Information
Personal Information (Name, Email)
Social Media Integration

Should I worry?

When utilizing an app, permission will be asked
Data collected can be harmless, such as device information
Sometimes your private data will be sold to companies and generate personalized ads
It is very important to be mindful when giving financial information or personal data
Sometimes location data can reveal sensitive information about a person's routines
A social media user might worry about the misuse of friends' information

How To improve Security/privacy

Use Two-Factor Authentication when possible
Secure accounts with strong passwords
Use a VPN, it'll encrypt internet connection
Be weary of certain links and websites accessed
Monitor sensitive data such as banking information

Data Privacy Activism

1970 could be considered the birth of privacy advocacy. The Privacy Act of 1974 in the United States was enacted over claims of government surveillance.

1990s - The Electric Frontier Foundation was founded in 1990 and has been an advocate for digital privacy rights ever since.

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Past

2013 - Edward Snowden disclosed information of widespread government surveillance programs which brought attention to the extent of mass data collection

2019 - Protests against facial recognition in public areas had sparked and led to concerns over abuse of the technology

Present

2020s - Privacy advocacy in companies have started to occur with examples such as Google and Amazon. These companies have raised concerns about certain practices that revolve around user privacy and data collection.

2023 & Beyond - Because of the ever growing digital space in our generation, more problems will arise which will only strengthen our rules and regulations over digital privacy and security.