How much personal data do we share online, and who gets to use it?
Which of the following pieces of information would you consider private or personal? As in, you would not want it shared with just anyone?
Computing innovations rely on data to function, but we rarely stop to consider just how personal or private that data really is. Every app you open, every site you visit, and every service you sign up for is collecting information about you.
Today we are going to examine what data companies actually collect, how they describe their practices in their privacy policies, and what that means for your personal information.
The question is not just what data is collected. It is also who sees it, how it is used, and how long it is kept.
Most websites and apps publish a privacy policy: a legal document describing what data they collect, how they use it, and who they share it with. You have almost certainly clicked "I Agree" on one of these without reading a single word.
Clicking "Agree" is a legal contract. Once you agree, the company can use your data in any way the policy allows, which could include targeted advertising, data brokering, or sharing with law enforcement.
Watch for: how companies collect and use personal data, and what the real cost of "free" online services can be.
Pick one website or app and find its privacy policy. Complete the front page of the activity guide. We will revisit the rest later in the unit.
Look for the privacy policy in the site footer, or search for the site name followed by "privacy policy".
What did you find that surprised you? What interesting points did you find in the privacy policy?
Think about the specific data collected, how it is shared, and whether you expected the policy to say what it did.