Privacy 1 | Privacy Day 2019. How privacy focused are you?

Can we still hear the word privacy? Privacy is hot! GDPR, AVG. You come across these terms everywhere. Especially when it comes to online privacy. It was the European Day of Privacy 2019 last Monday. You probably heard about it. We deal with privacy issues on a daily basis, but also with our own privacy as a company and as an individual. We make conscious choices about our privacy. Do you also do that?

It is not a useless day devised by a great tech giant

The European Day of Privacy was created in 2007 by the Council of Europe. They opted for January 28 because on this day in 1981 the Data Protection Convention was signed. With this day, the Council of Europe wants to make citizens more aware of their rights regarding the use of their personal data by governments, companies and other organizations.

Privacy and security go hand in hand

That the topic is hot does not come out of the blue. The scandals surrounding the sharing of user data by Facebook have fueled the discussion in no time. Big tech giants earn money by sharing data. Collecting user data is understandable up to a certain point. Securing and selling the collected data is a major concern for many people.

In addition, malicious people are always looking for ways to unlawfully get these data. Personal data inadvertently falls into the wrong hands regularly. Both are not nice for the users.

Privacy rights

Because of the GDPR you have a lot of privacy rights. If you ask for it organizations have to erase someone’s personal data in a number of cases. You also have the right to ask organizations to correct, supplement or shield the personal data they have about you.

All rights at a glance

• Right to information
• Right of access
• Right to rectification
• Right to forgetfulness
• Right to data portability
• Right of objection
• Right to limit processing
• Right to human eyes when making decisions

If an organization does not cooperate with these rights, you can always file a complaint with the Dutch Data Protection Authority. Do not do this in the first instance. Often organizations are not aware that they are violating a right. Contact them and submit a request to them. Usually they solve it for you.

Contact us with questions about your privacy

Tips for improving your online privacy

Secure your online accounts properly

Choose strong passwords that you keep in a password manager. Use two-step verification on top of it. This will prevent malicious people from gaining access to your privacy sensitive information. This is the first defense for you to protect your data properly.

Choose reliable parties

This is a difficult subject. Many companies where you create an account are American. Different privacy laws apply here. The FBI has succeeded in the past to have Apple develop a custom version of IOS so that they could unlock a locked and incrypt phone from a suspect. It is generally known that the NSA (American Notional Security Agency) is always looking for companies to built backdoors into their software.

So preferably choose companies based in the Netherlands. Especially when it comes to storing your data in the cloud. Companies like trans ip offer beautiful solutions where your data is stored encrypted on servers in the Netherlands where European and Dutch legislation applies.

Check your privacy settings at Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and the rest

It is important to go through your privacy settings once in a while. I receive e-mails that change terms and conditions of use. I have to admit I do not read them fully and point and point, but I scan the main lines and the summary. Of course the small print is in this. That is why you should view your privacy settings with some regularity and adjust them if necessary.

Besides your online accounts, it is also a good idea to look at the settings in your browser or operating system. This applies in a lesser extent to Apple users but is very important for Windows, Android and ChromeOS users.

What does this mean for you as a company?

For a company, privacy means the same as for the user. You must comply with the same laws that create the rights for your user. Because as a company you have other motives regarding privacy, it is difficult for some companies not to go beyond borders or to operate in a gray area with all data from and about users. It is good to think about how you handle all this data. Map all the data you have and make a roadmap to comply with all laws and regulations.

Often companies only heard about the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and what goes with it. Privacy should be a broader concept within the organization. Which data do we need? What data do we have? Which data do we share? What data can we miss? How do we protect all this data? How can we better serve our customers with all this data? A much broader view to implement in the organization than how we can comply with the GDPR legislation.

We are happy to help you with the question where you have no answer to yet. We deal with privacy issues on a daily basis, both within the projects of our clients and in our own projects. We like to spruce up a cup of coffee to see how we can help you to optimally deal with the privacy of your users.

Your online concept starts at Snoober Media

It is important to us to inform about privacy. Soon you will read a new article in this series.

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