(Good evening, everyone!
I hope you guys have been well. I am sorry for not posting as of late! I have been quite busy since my last post and because of the holiday. Now, let's get down to the nitty-gritty. What has Europe been up to? In particular, how do they regulate their technology overseas? Many of us are more familiar with how America regulates our technology. Compared to them, we are strict, but they, in some ways, are more stringent than America.
What is GDPR?
GDPR is an acronym for General Data Protection Regulation. This means their legislation protects those living in Europe from getting their information stolen or profited from without their permission. It came into effect on May 25, 2018. The article states it is " a data protection legislation which lays down rules for processing, storing, managing data from people currently within the European Union." (Li, Yu, He, 2019)
Why is it important?
GDPR is crucial as it empowers users and consumers, granting them significant control over the use and sharing of their information. It also bestows upon them the right to revoke consent at any time. Furthermore, it sets forth obligations for those managing and processing the data and offers a framework for implementing technical and organizational measures.
What can be defined as data to the GDPR?
Per the GDPR, data can be defined as personal data and anything used to identify an autonomous person. It usually includes individual names, e-mail addresses, Social Security numbers, IP addresses, phone numbers, location data, birthdays, and other economic, social, cultural identity and genetic information.
Does the GDPR affect companies within the U.S.?
Indeed, it does. GDPR has a significant impact on many U.S.-based companies, including tech giants like Google, Facebook, and Amazon.
GDPR's comprehensive nature is set to impact Technology platforms profoundly. Its thoroughness will necessitate a more comprehensive internal assessment of technology platforms, including a more detailed scrutiny of information systems, websites, databases, data warehouses, and data processing. It also grants EU citizens robust privacy rights such as the right to be forgotten, access to data, data portability, and the right to an explanation of automated decision-making.
Data Protection
In an age where information or data from technology is always at risk of being hacked or used for profit by other big media or technology companies, we must have data protection. I want to transition from GDPR to what everyone knows about cookies. Not the type you eat but the kind of cookies within your browser.
Cookies, what are they?
Cookies are web, Internet, and browser cookies. A web server creates small blocks of data while a user browses a website and places them on the user's computer or other device by a user's web browser. Cookies can be essential for saving passwords and the like. But sometimes, there can be extenuating circumstances where they can save information we don't want them to.
What is the CCPA?
Before discussing our cookies, it's essential to understand the CCPA. The CCPA, or the California Consumer Privacy Act, requires proper context for processing personal user data. Essentially, it's the American version of the GDPR. On a smaller scale, the GDPR covers the European Union, but the CCPA covers only Californian citizens. Understanding these different regulations is crucial in today's digital world.
What do cookies track?
We know that cookies track our data, but what do they track while we're on these websites? They can track but are not limited to "the name of the server from which the cookie was sent, the duration, and the value. The server uses this value to collect user data to recognize the user during the next session. Usually, only the server that sends the cookie can interpret it. Cookies enable service providers to offer features relevant to them and the end users. Information collected in this manner can be used to create new offerings or targeted ads or improve existing products and services." (Pantelic, Jovic, Krstovic, 2022)
What happens if Cookies are not adequately monitored or misused?
If a cookie is not adequately monitored or misused, it may cause problems such as transmitting viruses or malware.
This is why privacy protection is so essential. It protects our data and information from being released and from being improperly used.
So, today, I challenge you all to ask yourselves these questions.
When was the last time you read the cookie agreement before clicking confirm?
Do you know how to fix or delete your cookies?
Do you think we should implement something like the GDPR across the U.S.?
Lastly, if anyone has any experiences, can they share where they had a cookie problem? What happened, and how did you solve it?
Have a great week, everyone!
Below are the references I used for my data.
References:
Li, H., Yu, L., & He, W. (2019). The impact of GDPR on global technology development. Journal of Global Information Technology Management, 22(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1080/1097198x.2019.1569186
Pantelic, O., Jovic, K., & Krstovic, S. (2022). Cookies implementation analysis and the impact on user privacy regarding GDPR and CCPA regulations. Sustainability, 14(9), 5015. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095015
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