Imagine this. . . you receive a phone call from a company or organization (that you have recently purchased from) asking you the following questions about your child:
- What’s your child name?
- What’s their birth date?
- Can you share their favorite color?
- What are they interested in, generally?
- Who are their close friends?
- Which is your daughters favorite ‘My Little Pony’?
- Can you send me some pictures of your child, their family and friends?
Would you answer these questions openly or be a bit suspicious of why they’re asking and how they might use this information? A bit creepy, you say? Wouldn’t you agree that we’d normally reserve this type of dialogue for a more trusted person or an organization that we know and understand how they operate, at least to some degree? After all, this isn’t the type of information that we’d blindly provide to just anyone, right? Well, this could be exactly the type of thing we’re doing when we use free services such as social media platforms, messaging apps, free email accounts, etc. There’s a lot of reality to the expression “if you’re not paying for the product, then YOU ARE the product”. If that isn’t enough, I just recently came across the following article that shows us we may still be the product even when paying premium price for a product. (Bose headphones spy on listeners: lawsuit).
Let’s also not forget that when it pertains to your information (in digital form) it can have a life that spans generations. This is not something that may get tossed in a trash or forgotten after a few months. . . Again, you’ve probably heard it said “whatever you share on the internet lives forever”. This could be true of any data that is collected and digitized. In fact, this is true in other forums such as brick and mortar retail stores, not just on the internet, per say. I just recently had an employee at a popular retail store tell me that I could not pick up my newly purchased air compressor from the pickup counter until I provide my full name and home address (it was a required data field in their workflow).
With recent advances in technology (e.g. artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)) our every day, always-on, handheld phones become both our companion to convenience as well as advertising’s new delivery platform all at the same time. We might be notified when there’s a sale at a nearby retail or grocery store that we just so happen to be passing by right this moment. Or, we may get a reminder that we should leave the house within 5 minutes if we plan on making it to work on time (based on traffic and our source and destination). Sometimes it just gives me the chills that my phone (and the wizards behind the curtain) knows so much about my every day life. Does this make you wonder how much other increasingly sensitive information we’re providing (unintentionally) to just any company by merely using common household internet-accessible devices? And, this is just scratching the surface. . .
Ok, so then you ask. . . how do we realistically live in a digital world where every online service, or company that I do business with, wants our information before we can use their services? And, might I add, all we really want to do is interact with the rest of the world using these same devices and services, right? The world of data and digital privacy is a complex one, indeed, which is why we landed on this title “Privacy: Pick your Poison”. I think it ultimately comes down to being aware and thinking through what and how you share, and who you share it with. Sometimes there doesn’t appear to be a great answer, so you may have to choose what feels like “the lesser of two evils” (hopefully based on some educated insights). Hence, pick your poison. For example, consider the following practical thought processes when deciding who you share your data with and, a bit further, how much data you share:
Motives
Why do they want data about me and what might they do with it once they have it?
Companies like Facebook or Google make money by directly collecting, using and selling your information for advertising purposes (anything and everything they can find out about you). While there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with this model, you just need to understand it as it directly affects what and how your data may be used; this is ultimately what motivates them. Now, don’t get me wrong, we do get plenty of value on our end as well or we wouldn’t be using their services to begin with. For example, knowing what Joe has been doing with his life since high school, or watching how Beth has been recovering from that tragic accident, or even keeping in touch with friends and family that you just can’t find the time to call or personally visit with. Let’s not forget the ability to promote your business, hobbies or a passion with a much broader audience that you may have traditionally had access to otherwise.
In contrast, a brand such as Apple may certainly have their own mysterious customer data collection and use practices, but they’re business model is much less reliant on selling your data. Rather, it’s more about consuming your data in order to more effectively design future products or sell you their current products. That leads to a fundamental difference in motives, which is important when thinking about what someone (or some organization) may ultimately do with your information once they have it.
Trust and Reputation
Once we understand motives, we can (and should) also leverage what we know about an organization to gauge our level of trust. First, consider reputation and longevity; how long they’ve operated and their history, in terms of public reputation. It’s also important to observe how a company responds during the more difficult times. Let’s use our example of Apple again; specifically the dispute between the U.S. FBI and Apple where Apple stood firm in it’s resolve to protect customer data despite the pressure, difficult decision and even politically-charged publicity associated with unlocking an iPhone involved in a terrorist incident. Don’t get me wrong, as I’m not saying that Apple is a saint here, but they did hold firm in protecting data, even if the motive was to protect their own reputation as a company who takes privacy of consumer products very seriously. This type of incident can say a lot about the ‘culture’ or even the ‘character’ of an organization and leadership when it comes to having the ability and the will to protect it’s customers data.
On the contrary, a very small, cost-constrained startup company who is collecting personal data with little or no historical reputation, name recognition or economic strength to speak of may not be the first place I’d consider trusting any personal or sensitive information.
Is it really necessary to share that?
Lastly, think about whether an organization should ever see or be trusted with securely storing and handling (forever) the information that you’re about to share. There’s some data that makes sense to share, particularly if it’s required to do business. For example, I can’t expect to get anything from an online retail business if I’m not willing to provide my credit card for the purchase. Likewise, it doesn’t make sense to connect with people on social media platforms if I’m not willing to share my name, at a minimum. Plain and simply, just be wise about what information you share and with whom whether it be as simple as text in a comment or picture on social media, providing your personal information to a retail store, group chats in a messaging app with some close friends, and/or payment information for online gaming website, etc. The list goes on and on and is far too long to list here, so, in a nut shell. . . just think before you share!
“I’m safe and don’t really care about privacy since I have nothing to hide, right?”
Be careful to NOT just think about privacy as if you’re safe so long as you have nothing to hide. In fact, in the case of identity theft, I know quite a few really good people with little to hide that have dealt with some very difficult and stressful situations to clear up their associated debt and credit history; and this is just one finance-oriented use case within a much bigger and broader story.
Although I’d admit that this is far from being full-proof, in terms of truly safeguarding your identity and information, I’d venture to say that if you think about privacy in this way, consistently, then you will be in a much better place than most. If for no other reason other than –you’re aware and paying attention, continuously thinking through what data you share and who you share it with. This should be the foundation for how you now provide awareness and guidance to your family, particularly when we are being asked to share information about ourselves with just about every piece of technology that we come in contact with. Be smart about what “digital debris” you leave behind you!
MARK SCALIA 