Data Privacy Week 2023

    

   Data Privacy Week has its origins in 1981, when a treaty titled “The Convention for the Protection of Individuals with Regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data” was formed by the Council of Europe. This was the first international treaty of its kind that dealt with digital protection of personal data. 25 years later, Data Protection Day was created on April 26, 2006, then in 2022, it was expanded to an entire week. This was created to help educate the public about what digital data collection is and how to protect themselves. 

    Everything you do online leaves a trace, anytime you visit a website, or use an app, your activity is tracked and stored, this data can then be sold or shared without your knowledge. This can include your address, your phone number, driver's license information, or even physical activity using fitness trackers on your phone or a smartwatch. 

    Keep in mind that many sites and apps that track your data are not malicious, websites use "cookies" which are files that are placed in your browser to customize content for you. For example, a news website will show local weather, or a website will remember your username and password and what you have left in your shopping cart, both are examples of first-party cookies. These sites will often allow third-party cookies to install which can be used for targeted advertising. This is why after visiting certain sites, you will begin to see ads for that brand, or the very same item pop up on your social media. It is a double-edged sword, on one hand it creates an environment that is personally curated, with your interests made easily accessible. On the other hand, how comfortable are you with sacrificing security for convivence? 

    You have the power to help manage how, why, and what apps and websites collect your data. How often have you installed a new app, or signed up for a website and hurried through the fine print and permissions just to access the content quicker? You can adjust your browsers privacy settings which will allow you to see what cookies are there, delete them, and decide what kinds of cookies you want to allow. 

Here’s how to change the privacy and security settings on different browsers:

Chrome

Safari

Microsoft Edge

Firefox

    Also consider using an adblocker extension in your browser, while these don't block everything, they will help filter content according to rules set by the program, many such programs exist and can be found by searching online. 

    

    Another valuable tip is to opt out of data collection websites that store and sell your data, these sites are 100% legal, and store a frightening amount of personal information, from legal documents to personal addresses. The Kim Kommando website has an excellent series of articles called "Opt Out Tuesday" that I personally tried out and was able to remove much of my data I found. You can try it out for yourself below.

Opt Out

    Smart phones and tablets are another way your data is collected, make sure to check out the privacy and advertising options in your device's settings. Many phones also track your location, so advertisers can send you ads based on businesses nearby, you can usually find these options under "location services". 

    This blog only barely scratches the surface on how to protect your data, but hopefully with a better understanding of how devices and browsers collect data, and what for, you will be able to make use of a great resource that was put together by the National Cybersecurity Alliance that contains privacy setting links to many websites and services.  As always if you need help with anything streaming or smart home related you can contact us at 309-778-8611 or by emailing us at OneSource@midcentury.com

Manage Your Privacy Settings