Friday, August 14, 2009
We have all gotten so used to our gadgets that we are willing to sacrifice basic human rights to get our hands on them. People do not always know the value of their personal data, or value it so low that they are willing to give it up for peanuts (
or a chocolate bar).
Often it is ignorance, and we are not aware that our gadgets or services are giving away important personal data. And then there are those of us who are aware of this fact, and are counting on our provider to treat our personal data properly, or at least according to their privacy statement, which of course we check thoroughly before buying or starting to use such gadget or service.
A few examples:
- Mobile phone Did you know that our mobile phones are 'anonymously' tracked for a range of services?
For example: the traffic report, which informs you of the total length of traffic jams in your country, calculates such information based on tracking of mobile phones, checking how fast the phones are moving - if at all - from point A to point B.
The mobile phone service providers promise us that the information they gather is anonymized before use.
- Location based services You can now surf from your mobile phone to a service such as Google Maps which calculates your position - possibly using your built in GPS receiver - to inform you of the services that are available in your immediate vicinity.
This of course, requires that your location is sent to the service provider first.
It was recently discovered that some of the new generation smartphones covertly sends important information back to the manufacturer on a daily basis.
- High street store loyalty card (and other credit cards) We are lured into using these cards, because they make us feel pampered by giving us a few small perks which the other customers do not get.
Of course, every time you use the card, the store registers what you buy, how much you buy, where, when and how often you buy.
Using this data, they can, through data mining techniques deduce a lot of information about you and your family: if you respond properly to their campaigns, if and when you deviate from your routine (holidays?), how loyal you are to certain brands, financial information, ...
This information is then, amongst others, used - by the store itself or third parties - for targeted campaigns.
- Mobile Payments So convenient, we do not have to use coins anymore, or card. We can simply sms a message and the amount we want to pay for is automatically charged to our mobile phone bill.
Think a little bit further, and you'll know who will get their hands on the personal data hovering in the chain between you and the receiver of the payment.
I know that we cannot and should not stop technological evolution, but we need to ensure that every party involved treats personal data properly and always informs and gives the owner access to their personal data - which in the end remains their most personal property.