Data Privacy: Understanding Your Rights in the Digital Age

We live in a technologically progressed world where we don’t have to worry about standing in a long queue in front of banks for banking services. Also, we can simply place an order online for food, groceries, or anything we need, and it will be on your doorsteps in no time. With the evolution of information technology and the internet, we are moving towards a world where transparency, communication, accessibility, and information sharing are improving every day. While Data Science is changing the world, there are several concerns, especially regarding data privacy. In this blog, we will try to answer all your questions, such as what is data privacy and why is data privacy important?

What is data privacy?

In simple terms, data privacy is the power of individuals to control their data when engaging online. More specifically, it is a part of data management that deals with handling personal data in compliance with regulations, data protection laws, and general privacy best practices. In the next section, we will discuss all the data privacy principles, which will help you understand the importance of data privacy and your rights as a citizen.

Principles of data privacy

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a law that allows citizens to have more control over their personal data and complex organizations to be more transparent about how people's information is being used. GDPR came to life on May 25th, 2018, to guard European Union citizens and businesses against data violations. Later, GPR urged to bring all the 27 member countries under the same data protection law. This universal law applies to all kinds of businesses.

According to GDPR, there are 7 data privacy principles. As a business owner or individual, you must learn the fundamental principles of data privacy. Here are the 7 principles of GDPR:

• Lawfulness, transparency, and fairness

1. Consent- The client’s data can only be collected with their consent
2. Contract- Drawing up an agreement with the client to collect necessary data. (eg. Staffs data for payroll purposes)
3. Protection of vital interest- If the data processing is vital for the survival of an individual. (eg. Data for an emergency medical condition)
4. Legal obligation- If the data processing is essential to process a legal obligation
5. Public task- If the information is required for a public interest task
6. Legitimate interest- If the data is vital to carry out a legitimate interest

• Purpose limitation

According to GDPR law, if you want to acquire data from a subject, you have to mention the exact and legitimate purpose of the data processing. Once collected, you cannot alter the purpose of the data processing. Moreover, if you need similar data for a different purpose, you must start the data processing again by properly mentioning the latest purpose.

• Data minimization

According to GDPR, the data you collect for processing should be relevant, adequate, and to the extent necessary. Also, you must hold the required documents to justify the data you need to collect. Moreover, as a business owner, you should only collect the essential data needed, and if you can make it work without collecting any data, it’s even better.

• Accuracy

The data you collect or store must be accurate and up to date. Holding inaccurate data on anyone can turn out to be a violation. Therefore, regular data accuracy checks must be conducted to erase inaccurate data from the database and to ensure your database is up to par.

• Storage limitation

Storage limitation is about how long you have the right to store the data. After that, every collected data expires, after which you lose the right to store the data. Moreover, the subject must be aware of this storage limitation date.

• Integrity and confidentiality

If you hold a subject’s data, you are responsible for guarding against mishandling, compromised, or accidentally lost information.

• Accountability

Once you acquire any data, you are responsible for every data processing step. Therefore, for the best practice of accountability, you must hold the necessary documents at every step to justify your requirement.

Conclusion: Why is data privacy important?

The answer to this question is significant and straightforward- individuals need assurance that their data is secure and will be handled with care to engage online. As we discussed earlier, organizations must use data protection practices to ensure citizens that their data is safe and secure.

If proper data protection practices are not followed, businesses can face cyberattacks, compromising their users' information. Hence, it is essential to learn all the principles of data privacy before starting any business, and as an individual, you must know your rights regarding data privacy.

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