Within the last couple of decades, usage of the internet has grown so much that, there are millions of data points produced every day. Information Technology (IT) -based companies have started to collect data through different services like websites, applications, and social media platforms. When an individual tries to use the service provided by the provider. Big data related to the personal information of customers is collected. When they use this service, they have to provide certain personal information. These personal data can include the below items.
- Name of customer
- Physical Location
- Email Address
- Contact Information
With the increase in this data collection, organizations have been facing new challenges in keeping data safe and private.
What is Data Privacy?
Data Privacy for an individual means the ability of that individual to determine how, when, and to what extent their personal information is shared, among others. Data Privacy for an organization is the ability to handle sensitive data, including personal and confidential data. These confidential data can be listed below.
- Personal Identifiable Information (PII) data
- Financial Data
- Intellectual property
- Personal data.
It is the responsibility of the organization to make sure these data are protected to fulfill the regulatory requirements.
Why is data privacy Important?
In the modern-day electronic age, privacy is considered a fundamental human right that is protected by data-protection laws. Individuals need to have trust in any organization, thinking that their data will be handled with care without being leaked to the world. For organizations to provide services to the user, they need to make sure that their data is protected.
There are main ways in which personal data can be missed with malicious intent. Some of them are given below
- Personal data can be sold to advertisers without the user giving consent. This causes unnecessary marketing and advertising-related emails.
- Individuals with malicious intent can use personal data to harass or extort the user.
- Countries with repressive governments can use personal data to monitor and track their citizens, limiting their citizens’ ability to express themselves freely.
If any data related to customers is breached, it brings negative public relation to the organization that not only harm its reputation but also results in fines and other legal consequences.
Conclusion
In this blog post, we learned about data privacy, types of confidential data, and what data are considered private. We also learned about why data privacy is important for individuals, organizations, and governments.
Do you think this is enough to learn about data privacy?
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