Data is valuable!
Online businesses try to collect as much data about users as possible. This allows them to target adverts at users to sell more products to them.
They will build a profile of your likes and dislikes. The more they know about you, the more targetted their adverts can be, and the more likely you are to click them.
Hackers may try to steal data to use for illegal purposes. This could be:
- Selling company secrets to competitors
- Using financial information, such as using stolen card details to make unauthorised purchases or identity theft to impersonate their victim
- Blackmailing victims, threatening to reveal personal information unless a ransom is paid
Privacy is important because people should have control over their personal information and how it is used.
Key Privacy Areas
Cloud Computing
Increasing amounts of personal data is being stored in the cloud. The cloud is lots of data centres which are owned by businesses and physically located somewhere in the world.
- Who owns the data centre, and what access to they have to your data?
- Is the data stored securely?
- Where is the data centre located? Some governments allow themselves full access to user's data, regardless of who owns it.
Online Tracking
Everything you do online is tracked, stored, and analysed. The data is used to build a profile about you, which is part of your digital footprint.
- Tracking cookies are small text files which identify your device
- Websites and apps may collect your physical location, names, addresses, and information about your device
- Your data is shared with advertisers to generated highly targetted adverts
Unauthorised Access
Hackers may steal information from your device, data centres, or intercept data as it passes through connections.
- Data may be sold to others without the owner's knowledge or permission
- Someone's identity could be stolen, allowing hackers to buy something or take out a loan in someone else's name
- Personal information could be leaked unless a fee is paid
Surveillance
CCTV, facial recognition and monitoring software can be used to monitor people.
- Where is the video stored, and who has access to it?
- Is facial recognition accurate, or could someone be wrongly identified?
- What decisions are being made about those being watched?
Privacy Pros and Cons
In an exam, you may be asked to discuss a privacy topic, giving the pros and cons of the scenario. These are often high-mark questions.
Some pros and cons you may consider:
- Monitoring, online and in the real world, helps to keep people safe
- Targetted adverts make businesses more efficient and keep prices down for customers. Many services, such as search engines, are free to use thanks to adverts
- Services can be improved by providing personalised responses
- People may not want their data to be collected, or may not know how it is being processed
- Breaches of data security expose personal information and leave victims vulnerable to other crimes
- Concerns about mistakes when handling data