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.
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.
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.
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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