Data exhaust is not that different from actual environmental
exhaust generated by cars. If you think of everything you do in the
online world, every site you visit, everything you click on — you’re
being tracked. That is being captured in a database somewhere
and made up into this sovereign view of who you are. This is now
also happening in the offline world, through tracking through your
phone, for example, and location tracking. There is this massive
amount of data that you are generating on a daily basis, that is
being captured and sold and resold, and then targeted right back
at you to sell you more things.
The use of data as currency is closely tied to the concept of "the customer
becoming the product." This idea underscores how businesses and digital
platforms often monetize user data, effectively transforming users into
commodities that are bought and sold.
Data Monetization: Companies collect vast amounts of user data, including
personal information, preferences, online behavior, and more. This data is
highly valuable as it helps companies understand their customers better,
improve products and services, and target advertising more effectively.
Businesses often monetize this data by selling it to third parties or using it for
their advertising and marketing efforts.
Advertising and Personalization: Many digital platforms, like social media
networks and search engines, provide free access to users in exchange for their
data. Users are exposed to targeted advertisements based on their data, and
advertisers pay the platform to reach these specific audiences. In this way,
users' attention and data become the product that is sold to advertisers.
Data Brokering: Data brokers specialize in collecting and aggregating data from
various sources and selling it to businesses. Users' data is acquired without
their direct consent, and they have little control over how it's used. Data
brokers profit by acting as intermediaries between data sources and data
consumers.
Lack of Transparency: In many cases, users are not fully aware of how their
data is being collected, used, and shared. This lack of transparency can lead to
users unwittingly becoming the product, as their data is exploited without their
explicit consent or knowledge.
Data-Driven Business Models: Some businesses are primarily built around data
collection and analysis. They offer free tools, software, or services that attract
users, who then generate valuable data for the company. This data is leveraged
for various purposes, including advertising, market research, and product
development.
Privacy Concerns: The concept of the customer becoming the product raises
significant privacy concerns. Users may feel uncomfortable with the idea that
their personal information and online behavior are being commodified and
sold without their clear consent or understanding.
Generators of data get practically nothing. Their data is captured
and used to sell them more things in a targeted manner. There are
also concerns around security and privacy.
“There are huge opportunities [to use data] for much better
engagement and service, but it’s being used just to target and sell to
you,
Data literacy is still something that’s not really talked about.
Everyone will say they’re digitally literate, which 20 years ago was
a challenge. Now, we’re seeing this other wave of people needing
to be, for the sake of their careers, data literate. At present, that
literacy sits within the marketing department. So, guess what it
gets used for? To sell you more stuff. There are huge opportunities
for much better engagement and service, but it’s being used just to
target and sell to you.
There is this massive amount of data that you are generating on a daily basis,
that is being captured and sold and resold, and then targeted right back at you
to sell you more things.
https://www.npr.org/2013/06/09/189857722/when-your-data-is-currency-
what-does-your-privacy-cost
An Act to provide for the processing of digital personal data in a
manner that recognises both the right of individuals to protect their
personal data and the need to process such personal data for lawful
purposes and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
A data protection law must safeguard and balance peoples’ right to privacy
and their right to information, which are fundamental rights flowing from
the Constitution. Unfortunately, this Bill fails on both counts. There are at
least four reasons why the Bill must be put through a process of rigorous
pre-legislative consultation and redrafted before it makes its way to
Parliament.
pitfalls
no compensation in case of data leaks
excludes section 43A – imposes
In conflict with the Right to privacy:
o By empowering the executive to draft rules on a range of
issues, the proposed Bill creates wide discretionary powers
for the Central government and thus fails to safeguard
people’s right to privacy.
For instance, under Section 18, it empowers the
Central government to exempt any government, or
even private sector entities, from the provisions of
the Bill by merely issuing a notification.
No autonomy for the Data Protection Board:
o The Bill does not ensure autonomy of the Data Protection
Board, the institution responsible for enforcement of
provisions of the law.
o Given that the government is the biggest data repository, it
was imperative that the oversight body set up under the law
be adequately independent to act on violations of the law by
government entities.
Digital by design:
o The Bill stipulates that the Data Protection Board shall be
‘digital by design’, including receipt and disposal of
complaints.
o As per the latest National Family Health Survey, only 33%
of women in India have ever used the Internet.
The Bill, therefore, effectively fails millions of
people who do not have meaningful access to the
Internet.
Generators of data get practically nothing
Companies with extensive data resources can create data monopolies, making
it difficult for smaller businesses or startups to compete in the data-driven
economy. This can stifle innovation and competition
When organisations take poor decisions around people's personal data,
that can have a real impact on people's lives.
British Airways has been fined £20m ($26m) by the Information
Commissioner's Office (ICO) for a data breach which affected more than
400,000 customers.
The data stolen included log in, payment card and travel booking
details as well name and address information.
A subsequent investigation concluded that sufficient security
measures, such as multi-factor authentication, were not in place at
the time.
The company breached data protection law and failed to protect
themselves from preventable cyber attack. It then failed to detect
the hack until the damage was done to hundreds of thousands of
customers.
