citizen
The data we collect defines our identities both online and offline. The risks associated with privacy surveillance by the authorities or those around us are not insignificant if our data is misunderstood or inaccurate in relation to our actual actions.
A case in point: Google collects raw geolocation data (your latitude, date and time), deduces the mode of travel (bicycle, public transport, car…), and then associates this data with potentially sensitive situations. Going to a bar, a psychiatrist’s or an abortion clinic has a different impact depending on who has access to this information (your future employer, your insurance company or your parents). And what you do is potentially visible to others.
Another risk is the invasion of personality when information about us is inferred for advertising purposes, using categories that refer to our online actions. Our actions don’t always correspond to what’s important to us, but the related ads will remain visible on all our devices and outside the application that captured our data. As a result, we lose track of them, no longer knowing the context in which they were collected, or what they will be used for.
As a citizen, you can exercise your right to access your personal data. Click on “MY DATA, MY RIGHTS” to access our page summarizing all the existing methods for asserting your rights.
Finally, if you’d like to find out more about the world of data, click on “EXPLORE” to access a wealth of informative resources.