Happy belated Data Privacy Day! What, you didn’t celebrate Data Privacy Day? Don’t worry, I am sure you are not alone. For those who may not be aware, every January 28th, Data Privacy Day is observed in the United States, Canada, 47 countries in Europe, and a few other countries around the world. The day is meant to raise awareness and promote privacy and data protection best practices. Many different organizations celebrate this day, and this year, I had the opportunity to attend the 2024 Privacy Everywhere Conference.
During this event, it was thrilling to see so many people from across the world participate in increasing awareness, collaborating on the design of technology to ensure privacy, and sharing approaches on how individuals can play a role in managing their online privacy. I would like to share more about this last topic. Below are some helpful resources you may want to consider using. This is not a comprehensive list, neither the University System nor I officially endorsed it. Think of it rather as things you may want to consider doing as best practices in your everyday life to manage your privacy at whatever level you feel is appropriate.
Limit What You Share
Limiting the data you provide online will help prevent information from being used in ways that would violate your privacy. A simple illustration is to consider what and when you post on social media. For example, if you are on vacation, do not post about your vacation until you return home. You do not want someone to know you are away from home, to use that to their advantage to break into your house. However, limiting information collected about you goes beyond what information you put online. The act of providing the information, whether that is by using search engines, browsing websites, reading emails, shopping online, or using an app on your smartphone, all provide pieces of information about you. I am not telling this to scare you away from technology, but rather so you have a better understanding and can make more informed decisions.
Resources
Resource list is for your consideration. This is not a comprehensive list, neither the University System nor I officially endorsed it.
DuckDuckGo
This application is free to use and offers an alternative web browser and search engine capabilities while minimizing tracking technologies.
Brave
This is another free application that offers an alternative web browser and search engine capabilities while minimizing tracking technologies.
uBlock Origin
If you do not want to switch your web browser to Brave or DuckDuckGo, you can still reduce tracking technologies in other browsers by using the free uBlock Origin plug-in.
Terms of Service Didn’t Read
Ever spent some time reading the terms of services for a piece of software or an online service? They are often long and complex documents created to provide legal protection for the company. However, these documents do provide information about how your data is or is not kept private and what rights you may or may not have. The site is free to use and provides a summary of the various terms and a privacy grade.
Incogni
This is a paid subscription service that works on your behalf to remove your personal information from data brokers. Data brokers collect your personal information and sell it to other companies. Incogni deals directly with these brokers, so you do not have to spend hours jumping through hoops to have your information removed. Please note results may vary by individual, and it may take some time before you notice a decrease in marketing emails and target advertisements. If you are not interested in paying for this service, Incogni also offers a free resource guide.
