Tips: Take Control of Your Data Privacy

We believe that privacy is a right. At its core, privacy is the fundamental right to control access to your personal life and information. This includes the right to keep certain information unseen or undisturbed by others.

From the vantage point of the 2020s, you’re probably aware that the concept of privacy has evolved significantly. Let’s work together to protect our digital spaces, which include your online identity, browsing habits, and even the messages you send. The right to privacy in this context means safeguarding your information from unwanted or unnecessary access.

Data privacy centers on the right to protect personal information online. The sheer volume of data generated daily—from names and birthdates to medical records and browsing habits—is staggering. Even though so much is created, this data is highly valued by businesses and advertisers.

Types of personal data
Your personal data includes identifiable information such as your name, address, phone number, date of birth, and Social Security number. It also includes data about your behavior online, like the websites you visit, the products you buy, and even how long you stay on a webpage. Spending a few minutes streaming a video, perusing a webpage, or playing around on an app creates thousands to millions of data points.

Data is big business
Advertisers and other companies, such as so-called data brokers, prize this information. They collect it to create tailored ads, track purchasing trends, and study behavior. Often, companies “anonymize” data before selling it, but this anonymization doesn’t entirely remove the privacy risk.

Data privacy vs. cybersecurity 
While data privacy focuses on who has access to your data, cybersecurity is about protecting that data from hacking, malware, and other online threats. They work hand-in-hand, as secure systems help keep your data private, but we must stay informed and make intelligent privacy choices.

You may wonder why data privacy matters if “everything is already online.” But imagine this: you search for a product, and suddenly ads for it appear everywhere. Or perhaps you’ve downloaded an app that demands access to your contacts or emails, which it then sells to advertisers.

Here’s why data privacy matters:

• Security: With more data shared online, the risk of unauthorized access increases. Protecting sensitive information like health records or financial details reduces the chance of them being misused.
• Choice: Being aware of data privacy allows you to make informed choices about what to share. Many apps or websites might request access to data they don’t truly need—understanding your rights means you can decide what data you’re comfortable sharing.
• Balancing privacy and convenience: Data privacy often involves trade-offs. For example, a maps app needs location data to provide directions. Knowing how to balance these choices helps you manage what data you disclose.

1. Know What You Can Control
Some data sharing is unavoidable. For instance, the IRS needs your income details. Similarly, many services, like navigation apps, require some data to function. Understand these limits and that there is a tradeoff between convenience and privacy. To use all the features of your devices, apps, and software, you will often have to share more and more data. By understanding this balance, you can make more informed decisions.

2. Cultivate a Data Privacy Habit
Apps, websites, devices, and software will often seek out more data than you would think is necessary —why does a Solitaire app need to know your location? Why does a social media app need to know the phone numbers of everyone you know? Here is where you can really take charge of your data. Fortunately, many web browsers, computers, and devices will ask you if you want to share certain types of data with a new app or website.. Think carefully before clicking “Allow” on any data request and deny permissions that don’t make sense.

3. Check Your Settings
Even if an app doesn’t directly ask for data, it may still collect it. Periodically checking your privacy settings (monthly is a good habit) helps ensure your data-sharing preferences align with your comfort level. You can access app and software permissions through your device’s general settings. Turn off permissions like location, camera, or microphone access unless needed, and limit apps to access certain data only “while using” rather than “always.”

4. Delete Apps You Don't Use
Apps can collect data even if you aren’t actively using them. Every few months, review your apps and delete any you haven’t used recently. This simple step prevents unnecessary data collection and reduces clutter on your device. If you ever need the app again, you can easily reinstall it!