What is Data Privacy?
Data privacy is the right of people to control their own personal data. When it comes to data privacy, there are two major types of information:
- Personal Information: This includes any identifying information about a person, such as your name, home address, phone number, etc.
- Sensitive Personal Information: This includes any information that is related to an individual’s sexual orientation or health history.
Different jurisdictions have different requirements for data privacy. For example, with the new and controversial General Data Protection Regulation (also known as GDPR), the privacy of minors is prioritized, as is the explicit consent of users to collect information while they use a website.
In the context of medical records, health care professionals in the United States must abide by HIPPA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This is a set of guidelines that all practitioners must follow that serves to protect the privacy of patients.
Why do we have data privacy?
Data privacy is necessary because it ensures that our personal information stays private. Data privacy is important so that we don’t have to worry about our data being used in malicious ways against us. It also helps ensure the integrity of businesses, as well as governments. If companies and organizations didn’t have data privacy, they could use the information they gather about you in any way they want.
The future of data privacy in our lives
The future of data privacy is hard to predict. The laws are changing rapidly and they will continue to change as time goes on. It’s unclear what the future of data privacy will look like and how it will affect our lives in the coming years, but we can make some educated guesses about what it could be like in the next few years.
As technology improves and evolves, so does the way we communicate, share information, and work - which means we are constantly putting more personal information out into the world, making it easier for hackers to steal that information. We have seen many large data breaches occur over the last few years from Target to Equifax. These incidents pose a significant risk for companies who store their customers’ sensitive data online because when that information gets hacked, it can lead to massive identity theft cases across the country."
Data Privacy Basics
The key components of data privacy include:
- Data confidentiality. This means that all data collected is only shared between the consenting parties.
- Data security. This ensures that the data collected is housed somewhere secure and that the proper precautions are taken to prevent it from being misused or accessed maliciously.
- Transparency in data usage. The terms and conditions laid out between both parties is clear, understood, and represents the full picture of how the data will be used.
- Compliance. Depending on the geographically location, the data in question, and the role of the parties involved, ensuring that proper compliance with applicable legislations is followed.
