360Civic today advocated for individuals to play a greater role in their own online privacy. Opting out of data collection as a critical first step in preventing unnecessary information gathering.
Having one’s home address, phone number and other personal data shared and sold can result in a multitude of problems, and is especially hazardous for such public servants as judges, social workers and police officers.
In California and several other states, people have the right to know what personal information is being collected about them, whether that content is sold or disclosed (and to whom), and the ability to refuse to have that information shared. As of January 1, 2023, California’s new CPRA law now includes employment data under its privacy umbrella.
However, any privacy law is ineffective if users do not make the choice to opt-out of having their data collected and stored.
“When our personal information is so readily available online, it represents a crack in the privacy shield between the Internet and the real world. Headlines have demonstrated how easy it is for disgruntled (and sometimes violent) citizens to locate private information online, and then track down addresses, names of relatives, and even daily habits of individuals they consider targets,” said 360Civic CEO Ron Zayas.
Knowing how your information ends up online is also important. Something as seemingly safe as signing up for a loyalty program at a store, or providing your email to a restaurant for a discount, can lead to information brokers obtaining your address.
“Instead of ignoring privacy warnings, users can gain a powerful advantage by opting-out and capitalizing on the opportunity to better control their own information. These are the types of routines that need to change,” Zayas said. “Your personal data is valuable in so many ways, it demands a much more protective approach and a deeper understanding of the risk its exposure can generate.”
As the danger is increased for those in certain professions, Zayas offered additional tips for staying safe, such as using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to stop third parties from spying on your online activity, and use a VoIP number instead of giving out your cell phone number, which is one of the most sought-after sources of private content.
“Hopefully, forthcoming legislation will make it simpler for anyone to ‘embrace the opt-out,’ and stop service providers from using, disclosing, selling or providing access to customers' personal information without permission. Until then, everyone should b aware of the policies of websites where their data is captured,” Zayas said.
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