Despite the General Data Protection Act (GDPA) having been in force for some time, there are still many examples of negligence cases in this area by startups, companies and governments.

According to an MIT study, data leaks in Brazil increased 493% in 2021 alone — a rather shocking figure. And beyond the numbers, let’s not forget there are people who can be harmed both financially and emotionally.

There are also cases where data privacy is compromised to manipulate the behavior of individuals and thus benefit third parties in search of power, fame and money.

Therefore, if you do not know what data privacy is and its importance in today’s society, we recommend that you continue reading this article. Also be sure to check out practical tips to improve information protection. Enjoy your reading!

What is data privacy?

Data privacy is the protection of information against individuals and companies that, by default, should have little or no access to it.

When it comes to analyzing technology, data privacy is one of the pillars of information security, in which user information must be protected by companies authorized to manage data.

By “management”, we mean all mechanisms of collection, storage, management and sharing of data with third parties, always in compliance with the regulations of the agencies responsible and their laws.

Thus, the first step in applying good information protection is to understand what data privacy is and when it applies. Furthermore, we also need to understand the importance of this in today’s hyperconnected world.

See also: Risks on the metaverse: 5 points of attention for users

What is the importance of data privacy in day-to-day life?

Forget the “I have nothing to hide, so I don’t care what they do with my data” thinking pattern. Information privacy goes far beyond that.

At present, malicious use of data involves manipulating your opinions, thoughts, and, of course, your behaviors. Unbeknownst to you, companies can direct you to a path that, organically, you wouldn’t otherwise follow.

And that’s where the danger lies.

The effect on society can be very damaging when sensitive data is handled by specialized companies. This was the case with the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which data from millions of Americans were used in favor of the election of Donald Trump.

Another case that generated much controversy was that of the American retailer Target. From the use of data and statistical operations, the company customized its marketing campaigns, which resulted in the advertising of pregnancy products to a teenager who, up until then, had not told her parents about her pregnancy.

After complaining to the company about the possible “abuse,” the teenager’s father finally found out that his daughter was pregnant —and just hadn’t told him about it. As such, this is a clear case of data privacy misuse and how it can impact everyday life.

Other famous cases

In addition to the situations mentioned above, there have been many other cases where data privacy has been compromised and, as a result, information from people in a public environment has ended up exposed. Here is a reminder of some of them:

• Sony’s PSN network: In 2011, after a hacking attack, the data of more than 70 million users was exposed, including names, phone numbers, addresses and even credit card details. After 40 days of problems, the company eventually managed to get around the situation —with a huge stain on its reputation.
• Ecuadorian data leak: This leak in 2018 left data from 20 million Ecuadorians, both adults and minors exposed. The curious fact is that the country has 17 million inhabitants, that is, the data of all the residents of the country – with duplicate records – was compromised.
• Uber: Another case, discovered in 2018, in which 7 million drivers and 57 million passengers had their information leaked. The American company was punished with a fine of $148 million at the time.

As we can see, there are cases involving governments, private companies and startups. The thing we all have in common is the danger they can cause, both financially or behaviorally—when data is used to benefit third parties.

This is why we have the GDPR as the primary – but not-only – tool for data protection. Want to know more about it? Check out this video about it:

GDPR and LGPD: Data Protection and Privacy Law in Brazil

Thus, it is essential to watch personal information and, as much as possible, avoid behavior that could put our data at risk. Let’s see how to achieve that below.

How to improve data privacy?

There are some extremely important behaviors to mitigate risk and improve data privacy. Although they can’t 100% prevent all dangerous situations, these are important attitudes to be mindful of in our day to day:

• Pay attention to sensitive information posted on social networks, messaging apps and even emails;
• Avoid making the places you frequent public, especially by providing the information in real time;
• Review the privacy information of the online services you use and, if in doubt, get support and/or close your account;
• Keep your digital passwords safe and hard to guess, always trying to change them every 6 months;
• Read the data that is requested in the registration of services or in the installation of applications carefully;
• Beware of online shopping, especially on low popularity sites;
• Avoid using computers and public wi-fi networks, such as those available in cafes, airports, and shopping malls. If you really must, use a VPN to increase security;
• Avoid clicking on links received from third parties, especially those without any context in the message;
• Always question your online presence to avoid compromising data and security.

Therefore, understanding data privacy is just the first step to living in a more secure, trouble-free environment, digital or otherwise. In practice, we need to be mindful of this issue on a daily basis to reduce the risks of providing unwanted information to third parties.

So, remember to do your part in questioning the behavior of companies that can indiscriminately use data for their own benefit and, consequently, harm millions of innocent people.

Data privacy is a serious matter and needs to be practiced by everyone.

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