'I' for INFORMATION

“We have solved the problem of not having enough information by creating the problem of having too much information.” -Mokhonoana

The value of Information

"Data is the new oil” goes the saying, but is it entirely true? The economics of data is very intricate. It is not the abundance of data alone that drives value; it is the benefit one can extract from data-driven predictions that makes it attractive. And every sector including the governments are leveraging AI & ML today to make predictions around outcomes and building smarter.

Today we are in an information age and any information is just a few clicks away. The information explosion has many advantages but has more than proportionate disadvantages too. Overwhelming amounts of data or information is generated in almost every single activity that we do in our day today -be it ordering online, calling or texting someone, booking a cab, watching programs on OTT, surfing the net or making payments.

Now, there are two ways in which the information is generated as well as gathered. The first is, when we explicitly & willingly share our information willing in course of some digital interaction. The second is derivative information that is produced out of this interaction & kind of adds to our extensive customer profiling in terms of likes, preferences & behaviours. This second type of information is the one that holds great value and has emerged as a new currency in this era of universal internet access. It is access to this information, which an individual is not aware of existing & may not want to be recorded, that needs the protection of privacy. The right to privacy is claimed against the state as well as non-state actors.

Why does Privacy matter to a Person?

States & Governments today are utilizing Technology in the most imaginative ways, particularly given increasing global terrorism and heightened public safety concerns. One such technique being adopted is profiling, which involves automated processing of personal data to evaluate certain personal details & traits relating to a natural person. Aspects concerning that person's activity at work, economic situation, health, personal preferences, interests, reliability, behavior, location or movements are analyzed and tracked to monitor persons of interest. Such profiling can result in discrimination and there are instances of misuse of such information.

The capacity of non-State actors to invade the home and privacy is more enhanced than ever. Various data access methodologies, some of which are downright unacceptable, are being used by private entities to track the consumers’ moves, choices, and preferences to drive sales. Data is generated not just by active sharing of information, but also passively, with every click on the internet. It has been pointed out that Uber knows our whereabouts and the places we frequent, Facebook at the least, knows who we are friends with & our major life events, Amazon or Flipkart knows our shopping habits, bank details & addresses, and travel websites know where & how we are traveling. Social media platforms, search engines, email service providers, and messaging applications are all further examples of non-state actors that have extensive knowledge of all that we do & opine on.

So we all need to ask ourselves, what information is actually Private anymore?

Do end users care about the default track?

A default is a setting or position that has been pre-selected but can be changed if needed. For example, many Apps on the smart phones want quite a few of the settings to be enabled to allow the User to access all of the app functionalities. Most often the Users agree to these without even thinking twice about it and inadvertently allow themselves to be tracked & monitored at all times. But if there is an informed User who denies these permissions then the App doesn’t function at all. So one is forced to agree to provide all access (most of it unnecessary to the functioning of the app) just to use the app.

The User of course can delete certain types of cookies from their browsers or install software that blocks some of this internet / phone tracking. The User can also change privacy options in their Facebook, Twitter, Google & other Social media accounts and also set their browsers to ask websites not to track them. While many Users, especially the literate class claim that they have taken at least some steps to opt-out of Internet tracking, these claims are surely more aspirational and representational. It is extremely unlikely that they are able to successfully opt out on each device, browser, and app through which they are tracked.

Thus, there is a need for protection of such information which the Users are not willing to share. It requires appropriate action by the state and legislative intervention as well as consumer awareness so that the privacy of the users is maintained and also to determine the extent to which it can be necessarily invaded. A well defined Consent architecture is the need of the hour.