What Is Data Privacy? | Why Does It Matter? | Burner | Burner

What is data privacy?

Defining data privacy

It’s easy to write off data privacy as someone else’s concern. Maybe it’s the word “data.” It’s an intangible concept, often represented by strings of ones and zeroes, that just doesn’t connect with most. Combine it with “privacy,” another concept that we usually associate with our physical presence, and it’s a recipe for confusion and apathy.

If you’re wondering how to understand data or information privacy, personalizing the concept can help. If someone asked you to define yourself, you might mention things like character traits, likes/dislikes, and relationships. How would you feel if you learned that somewhere out there, someone has packaged up all this info? And that they added to it all sorts of minutiae about your daily actions? And then rented it out to the highest bidder?

Maybe now you can see at least one reason why data privacy is important. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Let’s take a deeper look.

What’s at stake and why is data privacy important

To say there’s some information floating out there would be understatement. A severe one. While surveillance state visions might come across as the stuff of dystopian science fiction, the tools to make it reality already exist.

Here’s just a sampling of the everyday info that could be falsely assumed to be private: visits to websites, Google searches, GPS coordinates, online and brick-and-mortar purchases, credit card applications, phone calls, and Facebook personality quizzes. Some, especially in isolation, might be benign, but unfortunately, one piece of the puzzle rarely sits alone.

The problem is that different bits of personal data are often aggregated to help build a profile. Even if you’re not a celebrity, this picture of you is a most valuable commodity. But to whom?

Who wants your data?

There are three primary players that stand to benefit from invading your data privacy:

MARKETERS
This class is broad, but they’re the ones most likely to buy and sell your info. On the selling side, it’s anyone who can gather information: social media networks, search engines, credit card companies, retailers, and the like.
GOVERNMENTS
Let’s sidestep what our own government may want with your personal info. Not to ignore a very real threat, but they do already sit on a mountain of data—income, employment info, property—through the IRS.
HACKERS
One of the big mistakes people make when thinking about information privacy is that they aren’t worthy of being hacked. Why would anyone go to the trouble of hacking me? It’s true—the average person probably wouldn’t be directly targeted by a hacker.

Why it’s important to protect your data privacy

So there’s a ton of personal data floating around, but what could actually happen? A lot. Here’s a taste:

Retargeting. Ever wonder how some ads seem to follow you around the web? Like when you check out a pair of shoes on one site, and ads for them pop up on other sites. That’s called retargeting. As creepy as it is, it’s one of the more mild invasions of data privacy.
Stalking. A Facebook engineer was fired in 2018 after allegedly using privileged access to stalk women.
Identity theft. All those credit cards and social security numbers up for sale on the dark web probably aren’t being purchased for harmless pranking.

It’s alarming how much personal data is out there, and even more alarming how powerful it can be. But protecting your privacy online isn’t beyond your control. With a little preparation and a watchful eye, you can keep yourself safe.

Ready to start calling & texting with a shiny new number?

Get Burner

Scan to download Burner