We wouldn’t dream of leaving our front doors wide open for strangers. So why do we do that online, letting companies collect and sell our personal information every day without thinking twice?
We ignore privacy, thinking we have too many “real” problems to worry about. But in the era of big tech, your data is your identity, your security and your dignity.
Ignoring our privacy doesn’t solve bigger problems, it just makes us more exposed to risks we all want to avoid.
So how are we protected?
The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a global standard for privacy, but in our region, our laws are still falling behind. Many of our local rules are weak and full of gaps that put us at risk, and sometimes non-existent. We need clear laws that put people first and guarantee everyone knows their rights so they can speak up for better protection.
Here are 5 reasons why WANA citizens need strong data protection now more than ever:
- The hidden additional cost: your personal information
When you sign up for a gym, order food delivery, or enter a mall, they collect your personal information: name, email address, phone number, etc. Sometimes even biometric information, like your fingerprints and face ID. Most of the time, you have no idea who is using your data or if it’s protected.
Robust privacy laws should give you the legal right to ask: Will you protect my data? Who are you sharing it with? If someone calls you out of the blue to sell you something you have never heard of before, you should have the right to ask: Where did you get my number?
Strong rules mean companies must ask before they collect, use or share your details. This stops them from collecting more information than they actually need and helps protect you from harassment, hacking and theft.
- Your right to security and safety
Unprotected personal information can be very dangerous. Unlawful actors might pretend to be from a UN organization, for example, to trick you into sharing your bank details or other private information in exchange for help (scamming). They can make fake evacuation calls during conflicts to create panic within an already vulnerable population (unauthorized access and harassment). They may also publish personal information without authorization, such as salary details (data leaks). When your data is not secure, it can be sold, stolen, leaked and used for scams.
Data protection laws require companies to use strong security measures. If a company loses your personal information or suffers a hack because it did not protect it adequately, strict privacy laws can lead to large fines. This forces companies to take your safety seriously.
- Your right “to disappear” online
Your old photos, accounts and private chats are still somewhere on forgotten servers. When we abandon an old profile, we aren’t just leaving a page behind, we are leaving a data time capsule. Bad actors can use this information to build a profile on you, impersonate you, or try to scam you later.
But under GDPR/privacy standards, you have the “right to be forgotten,” which forces companies to wipe your history from their databases. So if you want an application to delete your profile, pictures, chats and posts permanently, they must comply.
Using this right is an important way to protect yourself online. When we clear our digital footprints, we make it harder for others to use our past information against us.
- Protecting our children’s digital futures
Kids are online earlier than ever, on social media, games and online learning tools. While some governments are attempting to implement blanket bans or age checks, these measures do not help in protecting children’s personal data and private information. Quite on the contrary, these bans do not stop surveillance but often make individuals share even more sensitive details, such as official IDs or biometrics, to prove their age.
We need strong data laws to make sure companies handle information responsibly, especially children’s data. These laws must also stop them from collecting too much, building profiles, or showing targeted ads and content to our children.
- Keeping private life truly private
Data tracking isn’t just about what you do or buy, it’s about who you are.
Your search history, health inquiries and location data can create a very personal and sometimes risky profile of your private life to companies, governments, and anyone who can access this data.
Data protection keeps your personal beliefs, health information, and daily activities private. This stops companies or others from taking advantage of your private details.
So only you control your story.
Featured image from Pexels.
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