The holiday in my country is over and I will be back at work. I am feeling rested and recharged. And even if the perspective of another long period of work in my house makes me not necessarily happy, I come back to work very inspired and motivated. Because never before have people been so passionate about your data. Do you really realize what is at stake?

Anyone who is born in the Netherlands like me would forget that the true freedom is about things more important and being free to choose if work at home or in office.

That this is being very free – and being yourself and autonom – being able to decide which you think is a significant life. And on the possibility to freely take part at the decision of what you consider a dignified and real society.

Fundamental rights protect these freedoms.
Fundamental rights like the prohibition of discrimination, the right to say what we think, beign politically active, to think about what we like and that whay is private remains private.

The digitalization and the technology offer many possibilities, but in reality they offer the opportunity to follow, teach and control people. And if you are not aware, you can go unnoticed. This can bring us back to free times in the past. It is not without any reason that the right to protect personal data is included into our Constitution.

Privacy and personal data.

When we talk about personal data protection, we sometimes refer to “privacy” for convenience. In itself there is nothing wrong, till you become aware that this right is over your “domestic freedom” protection.

Personal data – like finance, the level of thought, the orientation, the health and the cultural background – say a lot about yourself and on how you organize your life. It is therefore above all the data with which both public and commercial organizations can distinguish people.

And if this is not done carefully, it can have important consequences for the people who are affected. Because, for example, treating people the same in equal situations is impossible to separate them from personal data.

The right to protect our personal data therefore runs as a common thread of all our fundamental rights.

Invisible and stealthy

But our right to protect personal data, all that information about our lives, is not only used to ward off known forms of inequality, such as discrimination, exclusion and political oppression. In our modern and digitized society, we see the principle of inequality appearing in many new forms. Often invisible and stealthy. And that’s where the danger lies.

As you increasingly digitize in our lives, your data is in many files. In the bank, the doctor, the police, the municipality … Call him. Much of what you read, share, search and shop online is also followed by dozens, sometimes even hundreds, of curious authorities and companies. Which you have often unconsciously, for example through cookies, given permission to track you.

Your profile determines the “treatment”

Organizations can use the continuous flow of personal information to analyze your data – fully automatic and at the speed of light – in order to position you as a person in a profile.

A profile by which they make decisions. For example, regardless of whether they send you the offer or want it as a customer. Whether or not you have the money to pay a higher price. Whether or not you’re seen as a potential con artist. Your profile can therefore – without you always know – lead to a different ‘treatment’.

For example, did you know that you won’t see all the search results out there, just a selection? Based on what the search engine knows about you. And yes, this can be very relevant, I understand. But what happens if the system determines in front of you what news, what it offers and what information you will see? And especially which ones not? How does it affect your image of the world?

You can do something!

The good news is that, fortunately, you can do a lot to protect your personal data. For example, using your privacy rights.

How the right to request what personal data an organization retains about you and your right to delete that data. After all, it’s your data. You will find more information and useful sample letters on our website.

But also paying close attention before installing an app and not indiscriminately accepting cookies on websites. By checking your privacy statements so you know what others do with your data.

You’ll be amazed at how often you read that your data is used to create your own profile or to make money by selling your data.

So consider knowingly if you think it’s worth paying (in part) with your personal data. So that you can control your data yourself. And with your freedom.

SOURCE: AUTORITA’ PER LA PROTEZIONE DEI DATI DEI PAESI BASSI – AP