AT3
Newsroom Project
You are the product: How to protect your data in a world that’s watching?
(What an experience working with these great group mates. Although this is not my first time doing a podcast, it’s been great working together writing articles, having discussions together, and doing a few practice sessions to practice the podcast, trying to make it as natural a conversation as possible.)
Have you ever opened a shopping app to buy a coffee or bubble tea, right off the bat, you found your favorite flavor on the homepage? Or searched for information about iPhone, and only found Apple advertisements shortly afterwards? These experiences seem very normal to us in our daily lives, but they are not accidental. It’s the result of tech corporations or applications quietly gathering your data, matching it with some intelligence algorithms. In short, these companies see your data as a "valuable asset” that can generate more advertisement clicks from you, which in turn translate into higher sales and greater profits. This article will explore how corporations collect your data and some useful tips on how we can protect our privacy.
1. Data Sharing Mindfulness
Be thoughtful about what you post. Sharing your photo, school, or birthday might seem harmless, but once it's online, it’s hard to remove! The Australian eSafety Commissioner warns that you must be cautious that once something is online, it can be very hard to take back and may be copied or stored by others without your consent. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner also states that you should share fewer personal details and check your privacy settings regularly to reduce your risk. Sometimes, we will also provide personal information unintentionally when signing up for an account. Hence, for Gen Z - who share a lot of their life on socials, staying mindful about what you post is a simple way to protect yourself and your information.
2. App Permission Controls
As smartphones today become increasingly powerful and integrated, they can generate various types of reading, such as GPS location, accelerometers readings, proximity detections, microphone input etc. With user's consent, these sensors can collect data even when apps are running in the background. For instance, companies like Google have misused this access and was fined $391 Millions in 2022 for misleading its users into thinking location tracking was turned off, while it continued to collect their data. As a result, it is essential to manage app permissions through system setting. Typically, platforms like iOS and Android will require apps to request permission at runtime before accessing sensitive features like precise location and microphone input. To ensure only necessary apps can access necessary data, users should routinely check the permissions of apps. Hence, restricting app permissions reduces the risk of personal information being leaked and lowers the possibility of being tracked.
3. VPN
Have you ever connected to a public Wi-Fi and entered your personal information online? If so, you could be playing on fire because network observers like Internet Service Provider (ISP) or public Wi-Fi providers able to log metadata about your activity, including the sites that you visit and even the information you input. Hence, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) will reduce the risks by hiding your IP address from the network observers, making the traffic or activity usage appear to come from the VPN. By encrypting internet traffic and hiding your IP address, a VPN makes it much more difficult for third parties and advertisers to track your activity. Although VPN is not a silver bullet, it helps users to prevent unauthorized data collection and profiling, making your personal information safer.
4. Local data storage
Corporations collect vast amounts of user information from cloud storage platforms like iCloud and OneDrive. Beyond the files themselves, they mine metadata, which includes timestamps and geotags, and are able to monitor synchronization patterns, linking this data to other apps and devices in the same ecosystem. Instead of using cloud storage, users can choose to store their data locally. Although high volume of local storage is very pricy, it reduces the possibility of illegal access or data breaches on distant servers. Thus, users have more control and privacy over their own information when sensitive data is stored on-device.
5. Offline Voice Assistant
Voice Assistance is one of the most popular features that people enjoy using. However, most Voice Assistance relies on cloud processing, meaning that voice data is uploaded to corporation's server and may be recorded for processing, analysis, or even marketing. This creates potential privacy and security risks. Thankfully, some voice assistance like Apple Siri allowed users to use device voice assistance, which process commands entirely on the device itself without internet connection. This strategy prevents audio data from being uploaded or saved on external servers and significantly lowers the risks of data leaks that are often associated with online voice assistance.
To conclude, Gen Z might be the most digitally connected generation, but that also means we’re giving away bits of ourselves every time we go online. Protecting that info doesn’t mean making huge changes - it’s about small, smart habits. Think before you post, keep an eye on app permissions, use a VPN on public Wi-Fi, store important files locally, and keep your voice assistant offline. These small but savvy changes may seem like drops in the ocean, but together, they form a strong shield that protects us. In a world where everything you do can be traced, protecting your data is just protecting yourself.
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