Chapter 1: The Value of Your Data

Imagine being asked to leave your windows and doors wide open, allowing strangers to observe your every action—eating, sleeping, or even conversing with family. This may sound absurd, yet it mirrors the reality of our lives online. Does this sound like an exaggeration?

Recently, I attempted to download my data from my Google account, which included everything from photos to notes and files stored on Google Drive. I was taken aback by the sheer volume of information Google had collected about me. It encompassed all my emails, search history across various categories, YouTube interactions, and even my location data—totaling over 30GB. While I can opt to delete this data from my account, I question whether it will truly be erased from Google's servers.

Avoiding Google’s tracking is challenging, as many activities online inevitably go through their services. This includes everything from your Android device to your web browsing habits, and even your financial transactions.

Facebook operates similarly, gathering data through its platforms—Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp—to tailor advertisements and suggestions from third-party services. In fact, nearly every online service you use collects your data, including Microsoft's suite and cloud storage providers.

The crux of the issue lies not in data storage itself; anything shared online is stored somewhere on a server. The real concern is that much of this data may not be what we intend to share, and we often have no idea who else it is shared with.

A friend once recounted how he tracked an acquaintance he met online, using insider information from a friend employed at a well-known app's call center. This individual uncovered the online friend’s real location, travel plans, and other personal details—this is alarming! Your data can be accessed and misused by anyone at any time.

When your privacy is compromised:

• You lose control over your personal information, allowing external forces to dictate your narrative.
• Individually, this translates to your thoughts and opinions being influenced by those who control your private data.
• Socially, it allows for analysis of your behaviors and preferences as part of a larger community.

Have you heard about the Cambridge Analytica scandal? This company misappropriated data from approximately 87 million Facebook users, manipulating it to influence the 2016 US elections and the Brexit vote. They achieved this by distributing a psychological quiz titled “This Is Your Digital Life,” akin to those whimsical Facebook games about personality traits. This enabled them to gather information from not only quiz takers but also their friends.

It's fundamentally about trust.

Trust hinges on various elements, foremost among them being privacy regulations established by governments. The documentary "Snowden" revealed how the NSA directly tracks our data. Thankfully, greater transparency and enhanced privacy laws, like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe, have emerged.

Moreover, you could fall victim to data breaches affecting internet companies. Given these threats, many users prefer to safeguard their personal data or store it in more secure environments.