Why you should care about your data
In today's interconnected world, where technology pervades every aspect of our lives, ensuring the privacy and security of our personal data has become more crucial than ever before. From online transactions to social media interactions, our digital footprint expands daily, making data privacy a fundamental concern.
Many companies monitor their users’ and customers’ personal behavior. Information about you, such as your purchase history, location or also your favorite restaurants can be used to make inferences about your socioeconomic status or preferences. These information have a high value – just like money. Hence, companies all over the world collect, use and or sell your data for profit. Moreover, when information that ought to be kept private falls into the wrong hands there is an increasing risk of criminal cybersecurity threats, such as identity theft or discrimination
(Hennig, 2020; Odogwu, 2022)
The Privacy Paradox
92%…
of german people consider protecting personal data as important or very important
However in recent years, researchers have uncovered a phenomenon wherein individuals frequently behave in a contradictory manner regarding data protection compared to what they claim.
(Sinus, 2018)
What are the reasons behind the Privacy Paradox?
A study by Athey et al. tried to identify the reasons behind this phenomenon by investigating the privacy preferences of 3,108 students. They significantly identified three potential explanations for why the Privacy Paradox might occur
Small incentives can significantly impact individuals' willingness to disclose private data, despite claiming to prioritize privacy.
Even minor navigation costs can influence consumers to make choices that prioritize convenience over privacy, contradicting their stated preferences.
The introduction of irrelevant yet reassuring information about privacy protection can decrease individuals' likelihood of avoiding surveillance, regardless of their stated privacy preferences.
(Athwy et al., 2017; Gerber et al. 2018)
Habits to protect your personal data

It is important to share with care, especially when using social media. Think before posting about yourself and others online and consider what it reveals, who might see it and how it could be perceived now and in the future.
Therefore, you should set the privacy settings on websites and apps to your comfort level for information sharing and allow only the cookies you are comfortable with.

& never use the same more than once.
This means, you need to be careful when apps ask you for rights & permissions. It is essential to scrutinize why an app requests access to your photos or contact list. Furthermore, strive to disclose only the necessary information while engaging with apps.
It is important to recognize that information such as your preferences, contacts, shopping habits, and geographic location have tremendous value. Be mindful of who has access to such information and gain a clear understanding of how it is collected through websites and apps.

A significant number of online users neglect pre-selected checkboxes and proceed to click "Accept" without realizing that they are granting the website access to their personal data. When browsing public websites, it is important to remain vigilant and actively watch out for pre-ticked buttons.
Taking the proactive step of verifying a link before clicking on it is an effective way to safeguard your data from potential compromise and hacking through malicious links. These harmful links are intentionally designed to cause digital chaos, enabling scams, hacking, and cyberattacks.
(Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik, 2023; Hennig, 2020; Odogwu, 2022)
Source of content:
Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (2023). Basistipps zur IT-Sicherheit. https://www.bsi.bund.de/DE/Themen/Verbraucherinnen-und-Verbraucher/Informationen-und-Empfehlungen/Cyber-Sicherheitsempfehlungen/cyber-sicherheitsempfehlungen_node.html
Hennig, C. (2020, January 20). Why Should We Care About Online Privacy? UC Berkeley. https://security.berkeley.edu/news/why-should-we-care-about-online-privacy. Odogwu, C. (2022, May 7). Data Privacy Habits to Practice for Protecting Your Personal Information. MUO. https://www.makeuseof.com/online-safety-habits-data-privacy/ SINUS Markt- und Sozialforschung (2018, January 24). Studie zu Datenschutz: Mehrheit der Deutschen zweifelt an Datensicherheit. Sinus. https://www.sinus-institut.de/media-center/presse/mehrheit-der-deutschen-zweifelt-an-datensicherheit Athwy, S., Catalini, C. & Tucker, C. (2017). The Digital Privacy Paradox: Small Money, Small Costs, Small Talk. NBER Working Paper, Vol. 1(23488). https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w23488/w23488.pdf. Gerber, N., Gerber, P. & Volkamer, M. (2018). Explaining the privacy paradox: A systematic review of literature investigating privacy attitude and behavior. Computer & Security. Vol. 77(1), pp. 226-261.
Source of Gif:
Somewan from dribbble. Retrieved from https://dribbble.com/shots/17464253-Data-Privacy-Day
Source of Image:
Images by Notion.