Ever since I've seen the Netflix documentaries "The Social Dilemma" and "The Great Hack", I've been worrying a lot about data security on the Internet.
I was aware beforehand that my data was not protected on social media and on the Internet, but I was not aware of the extent to which my personal dates are valuable for companies and what can actually be achieved with them in society.
In particular, I think it's awesome that data analysis companies manage to generate data about someone in such a way that they can manipulate this person politically. "Cambridge Analytica" has systematically filled the social media of voters with messages, videos, memes, etc. Using profile and personality analyzes in order to influence the voting behavior of voters in their own favor and wishes. Several former employees and whistleblowers have admitted that they made a significant contribution to Brexit and the election of Trump. Which of course they were paid for.
Are you worried about your data?
Are you in the process of rethinking how you use the internet?
Should data be a human right?
Should we at least know the right to whom our data is sold and what it is used for?
Does this shake our democracy?
What can we politically do against data misuse?
My data is relatively save I would say
Are you really sure about that? Do you use social media like FB, Instagram, Twitter etc, or search engines like Google? Did you research how e.g. Funded this website?
No, I don't use social services
Welcome!
I'm very worried about data security on the Internet.
Rightly.
I was aware beforehand that my data was not protected on social media and on the Internet, but I was not aware of the extent to which my personal dates are valuable for companies and what can actually be achieved with them in society.
Every service that is "free" in the sense of "it doesn't cost any money" is also financed with your data.
In particular, I think it's awesome that data analysis companies manage to generate data about someone in such a way that they can manipulate this person politically.
The subject is not new. It has been in the press several times. There are tons of bots on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. Just for this purpose. The platforms have long ignored the problem and can't get it under control.
Are you worried about your data?
I try to be data sparing. I don't use Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or similar platforms that are called "social networks". I use the Google search engine either anonymously via startpage.com or I delete the cookies (which of course only partially helps). I'm not signed in to Google. Even if I z. B. Looking for something on Ebay or Amazon (I have accounts with both), I do not log in. Then I delete the cookies. As a result, these services can't assign my activities to my account when I log in again.
My phone is not signed in to the Google account, my data is synchronized to a private cloud that I run myself at home.
Are you in the process of rethinking how you use the internet?
No, I've been behind me for a long time.
Should we at least know the right to whom our data is sold and what it is used for?
In principle, we have the right to know what our data is used for. That's what the GDPR is for. But: hardly anyone reads the relevant explanations, and they are sometimes difficult to understand.
Does this shake our democracy?
It's not that bad yet. But we should learn from what happened in America and Great Britain. Unfortunately, the platforms mentioned have a significant part in life, especially among younger generations. Many do not get a picture of the side effects of being constantly registered with these services and failing to trace them en masse. It is also easy to map everything with the help of Google services. It works well and is convenient. The fact that one reveals one's entire life with it is simply ignored.
What can we politically do against data misuse?
It is not that easy because this data usage (I would like to put it in a non-judgmental way) takes place worldwide. How do we handle an American service? Not really good and effective. In addition, not only on this issue, lobbying ensures that the laws are not always drafted entirely for the good of the citizens.
But everyone can do something: be careful with data. Think carefully about which service you really need. Think carefully about whether you have to be permanently logged in to these services. Think carefully about the devices on which you use a service. There are significantly more traces on the smartphone, whatever you always have with you, than on the computer.
If you want to avoid misuse of your data, you are simply no longer allowed to use social networks and Google. They only seem to offer their services "free of charge". Because our personal data is mercilessly marketed, which means that the beneficiaries (mostly advertisers) do not pay us for our data, but rather to the social network. You and I agreed to this in the fine print. And we pay these costs personally when we buy such a sponsored product.
Hello,
there have been many attempts to build social networks and search engines that are not financed by advertising. They all failed because of the low level of acceptance, as nobody wants to do without the established services with their enormous spread.
One solution would be that the providers of search engines and social networks etc. The obligation to offer alternatives of use: free of charge - then possibly financed by advertising or for a corresponding fee without forwarding personal data.
Those who use Windows have agreed in the EULA that any data in the background can be encrypted and sent away. With Linux, there's no such thing as wild growth, as the basic data protection regulation is complied with - this can even be verified in the source code.
I use Linux ^^
Related to what?
Linux is a good choice because there's no Windows espionage and the program equipment is better.
Well, the many other disadvantages of Windows do not exist with free operating systems either.
No, I'm not worried about my data, but about the education of the people who can't handle it. You are on the right track!
You just have to know roughly where which data is and also know about the laws. Be very careful with what you give whom and know that in principle any secret service can have all the data and then act accordingly carefully, i.e. No visits to critical countries or something.
