The Deep Dive. No Really.

Spoiler alert: every click, search, and transaction can leave a digital trail, and the issue of data privacy and security looms more prominent than ever before. If you are a T-Mobile customer, you are familiar with their lackadaisical approach to data security. Since 2009, the communications giant exposed privacy data ten times. If you are or were a customer, your data is part of the 77 million customers leaked in 2021 and 37 million as recently as January 2023 (Reed 2023). Remember that your cellular provider has your name, address, phone number, credit card, email, social security number, and date of birth. They also know who you call, your general location at the time of a call, your data usage, and what you do on the Internet (unless you use a quality VPN like Proton).

Do you still feel invincible?

Let’s talk about Google. Your mobile company had enough information to replicate you and your basic communication behaviors and preferences. Google has enough information to replace you. How? Below is a short list of what Google collects (Curran 2018):

• Google stores your location (if you have location tracking turned on) every time you turn on your phone.
• Google stores search history across all your devices.
• Google creates an advertisement profile based on your information, including your location, gender, age, hobbies, career, interests, relationship status, and income.
• Google stores information on every app and extension you use. They know how often you use them, where you use them, and who you use them to interact with.
• Google stores all of your YouTube history.
• Google knows which events you attended and when from your calendar.
• Google has the information you deleted.
• Google has a record of all your photos broken down by year and includes metadata of when and where.

As our lives become increasingly intertwined with technology, so does the risk of our personal information falling into the wrong hands. And your customers have every right not to share anything with you. If they do, you must respect the data you collect.

The Internet provides unparalleled convenience and connectivity, but it has also exposed us to a growing concern: the vulnerability of our data. Over the past two decades, our society’s digital footprint has grown exponentially, quickly outpacing our cybersecurity and privacy infrastructure’s ability to keep up. We live in an era where the value of data is unparalleled. Companies and organizations collect vast amounts of information about their users, from personal details to browsing habits, to improve their products, services, and marketing efforts. But at what cost? Some argue that losing data privacy is a necessary evil, a trade-off we must accept for technological advancements. After all, how can we enjoy the benefits of personalized recommendations or targeted advertisements without sharing some of our personal information? This mass collection of information significantly impacts the privacy of your business and customers. Yet, as data breaches make headlines and the possibility of identity theft looms, more individuals are becoming more aware of the complexity of protecting their data in this interconnected world.

According to recent surveys, “Ninety-five percent (95%) of respondents said privacy is a business imperative, up from 90% last year. Ninety-four percent (94%) said their customers would not buy from them if their data was not properly protected, up from 90% a year ago (Cisco 2023).” This statistic speaks volumes about the growing concerns surrounding data privacy and security. Moreover, the same study indicated that 92% of organizations recognize the need to do more to reassure their customers about how their data is being used (Cisco 2023). You need to understand the challenges and risks associated with our digital footprints and the steps taken to address these concerns. From the role of legislation to the importance of individual responsibility, we will navigate through the maze of data protection.