Thursday 28 Mar 2024
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This article first appeared in Digital Edge, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on April 26, 2021 - May 2, 2021

Technology companies have been known to access, track and sell your data. This includes what you search for, where you are and what your interests are. These companies can even access your personal information. 

These types of information can be used for targeted and personalised advertising. Data surveillance and free-to-the-public services, like social media and search, are increasingly viewed as unsustainable and undesirable, says Harvard Business Review.

Some organisations, like the US-based Data Dividend Project (DDP), are fighting to take back ownership of your data. It plans to give consumers a set of rights that allows them to know what data on them is collected and the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of that data, among other initiatives. It also plans to hold corporations accountable for the violation of data rights.

Since it is impossible to not be bombarded by ads that are too personal, and enforceable legislation may not materialise soon enough, here are several steps you can take to regain some degree of control.

 

 1  Assess your browser

Your internet browser allows you to visit websites. Popular ones include Google Chrome, Firefox and Safari. You should assess your browser privacy settings, as well as clear out cookies if you want to clear your browsing history. 

There is also the Brave browser, which claims to be three times faster than Chrome and uses less battery on mobile. Brave is a free and open-source browser with built-in software to block unwanted ads, pop-ups and trackers automatically. It also has a feature that allows users to support publishers and content creators using cyber-tokens.

 

 2  A different search engine

Even though Google is practically synonymous with “find out” or “search”, it is not the only available search engine. There are a number of lesser-known search engines that have their own unique features.

The search engine by DuckDuckGo, an internet privacy company, claims to not collect, store or share any personal information. There is also the environmentally friendly Ecosia, which uses its revenue from search engine queries to plant trees. Ecosia also claims to be privacy-friendly as it does not sell data, has no third-party trackers and anonymises all searches within a week.

 

 3  A different email provider

Switzerland-based protonmail.com (ProtonMail) is an email service with built-in end-to-end encryption. Created by a team of scientists, engineers and developers, the service claims to have zero access to user data and is protected by some of the strongest privacy protection laws in the world. It has a feature that allows users to send self-destructing emails, among many other things.

 

 4  Assess your settings on personal devices and online profiles

Most apps, like social media apps, ask for your location. This allows your exact location to be known and available, which could be risky. If you have to use location tracking services, such as for navigation, make sure to turn it off after you are no longer using the app.

It is also good to look at the settings of your personal devices. They can tell you which apps track your location even when the app is not in use. More and more companies, like Google and Facebook, are also giving users the option to opt out of personalisation and tracking. Play around with your settings and adjust them to make sure you are satisfied with the terms.

 

 5  Live a life with no social media

That’s right — a permanent digital detox. Out of sight, out of mind. Or, for a less permanent fix, you can start with less usage and dependency.

Try a cut-off point — for example, don’t use your phone an hour or two before going to bed every night. This way, at least the information digital companies have on us won’t be regurgitated back to us 24/7.

As we are quite reliant on the internet for work and general purposes, it’s also healthy to schedule breaks away from the screen.

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