Data uses, privacy, ethics & legality

Abstract

Data has become the most powerful resource in the 21st century. The fourth digital revolution has seen a rapid digital transformation. Until the late 20th century, oil companies used to rule the world. Those companies had immense control over the people and their government. Today this power has been transferred to the likes of Google and Facebook. It has given tremendous power to companies that control and produce data. Businesses collect these data from its user to better serve the needs of the consumers. On a broader level, the companies analyze their customers’ data to segment their customers and then try to sell the idea/product based on user preference. This looks like the best thing for the customers. However, not everything is so bright. A study by Symantec (Cleary, 2018) shows that the percentage of apps that request risky permission on Android devices is 89% while that in iOS is 39%. This means the personal data is at stake. Knowingly or unknowingly, we overexpose ourselves, which helps companies to take advantage of us. In this report, we will try to do a comprehensive analysis of how our data is being collected and used by companies, concerns around the uses of personal data, with several high-profile controversies emerging in recent times. The project also seeks to look at the several ethical and legal questions that have arisen worldwide, ncluding in India, with an evaluation of the landmark Supreme Court ruling privacy as a fundamental right along with the proposed data protection law in India.