Our data is collected everyday — your computer, smartphone, and pretty much every other internet-connected device gathers data, which might even include your wristwatch or car!

But you often have some choices when it comes to how this data is collected, shared, and sold. Personal data can be stored indefinably. Data can be used to make inferences about your socioeconomic status, demographic information, and preferences. Even seemingly innocuous information, such as your favorite restaurants or items you purchase online, can be used to make assumptions about you and your habits. Many companies have the opportunity to monitor the data of their users and consumers, and they sell the data for profit. If this reality is sending chills down your spine, don’t fret! You can take steps to control how your data is shared. You can’t lock down all of your data — even if you stop using the internet, credit card companies record your purchases and the government knows your Social Security number. But you can take simple steps to manage it and take more control of who it is shared with.

Links:
Data Privacy Week