Allowing them to better target their customers for advertising purposes, data is a real goldmine for companies. In order to prevent abuse and abuses, however, their collection and use are subject to strict controls. Everyone can also take steps to optimize their privacy.
Why is personal data collected ?
In most cases, personal data is collected for commercial purposes. In fact, they enable a company to collect details about prospective customers and thusimprove its advertising targeting. More specifically, a brand will be able to get closer to potential customers by developing personalized communication based on the personal information it has acquired. It can also offer them services or products perfectly suited to their needs or desires.
Personal information may also be collected for other purposes. For example, during the 2012 US presidential race, the study of voter data enabled Barack Obama to raise a sum in excess of $1 billion. This analysis also provided information on undecided voters. The candidate used them to fine-tune his arguments to convince them to vote for him.
Who protects our personal data ?
In France, the protection of personal data is governed by the Data Protection Act. The latter was amended by the law of June 20, 2018 on the protection of personal data to adapt to the RGPD (General Data Protection Regulation). These regulations apply to companies, associations and public bodies that handle the private data of individuals located in the European Union.
In France, the CNIL (Commission Nationale de l’Informatique et des Libertés) is responsible for ensuring compliance with the RGPD. This authority can carry out surveys of structures affected by the European regulation. It also has the power to implement corrective measures if an infringement is committed. In addition, it provides recommendations on the protection of personal data and handles queries concerning any breach of the RGPD.
All those who handle personal information have various solutions at their disposal to ensure that the privacy of the individuals concerned is respected. Anonymizing data is one of them. Despite this, some drifts can be observed. So it’s important to know how to protect your personal data.
How can I protect my personal data on the Internet?
There are a number of best practices to help you secure your personal data on the Internet. You can start by changing your web browser. In particular, we recommend Firefox , which lets you choose from various levels of content blocking.
If you want to surf the web anonymously, turn to Tor Browser. Thanks to this browser, which disables all scripting on the sites you access by default, you’ll be able to surf using the HTTPS protocol.
You should also consider changing your search engine. Google is widely used to store the browsing history of Internet users. However, it is possible to use other search engines that guarantee greater privacy, such as Qwant or DuckDuckGo.
The use of a password manager is also highly recommended. In addition to safeguarding your credentials, this tool can create a strong, unique password for all your online accounts. KeePass and Bitwarden are among the most popular solutions.
Make sure you also change your DNS server. Most of the time automatically assigned by the Internet service provider, it can be used to spy on your browsing. Replacing it will not only allow you to bypass tracking, but also to surf faster. In particular, you can opt for the DNS offered by Cloudflare.
You may find yourself using a Wi-Fi network with little or no security. Malicious individuals are likely to take advantage of this to steal confidential or sensitive information. How to protect your personal data in this type of situation ? One effective method is to use a VPN connection. Internet access will be carried out using an IP address other than your own, preventing you from being identified. Avoid free VPNs, however, as they won’t give you the best protection for your private data.
On the other hand, if you’ve accessed a third-party service via a Google account, it’s quite possible that your e-mails are being read without your knowledge. In this case, it’s best to turn to a secure e-mail provider like ProtonMail.
Finally, use a messaging system that employs end-to-end encryption to guard against the risk of spying on your private conversations. Signal and Telegram are among the recommended solutions.
Are you wondering how to protect your personal data on a smartphone ? The measures to adopt are practically the same as those listed above.
How can we check whether our personal data is publicly available on the Internet ?
Knowing how to protect your personal data is crucial. Just as important is learning how to check whether they have been publicly distributed on the Internet.
At present, the creation of an account is generally required to benefit from online services. As part of this process, you may be asked to provide your name, e-mail address, date of birth, bank details, etc. Yet websites are often attacked by hackers, resulting in leaks of personal data onto the web.
To find out if your information has been stolen and disclosed on the Internet, visit Have I Been Pwned. Simply enter the e-mail address you used to create an online account in the field provided. One of the following situations will then arise :
- The screen turns green, which means no data leakage for you;
- The screen turns red, which means that a site you’ve accessed has suffered a cyber-attack and you’re a victim of data theft. The name of the site and the type of information stolen will also be specified.
In the second case, immediately change your password on the site in question. Also take the trouble to replace any passwords you use on other sites if they are identical. Hackers can test the credentials they have stolen on various sites that may have collected your personal data.
Cover image source: kenary820 / Shutterstock.com