Reader\'s Digest India - 09.2019

54 september 2019

Reader’s Digest Talking To A Smart Person

are more serious cases like Cambridge

Analytica, where personal Facebook

information was used to impact how

people in the United States voted in the

2016 election.

There must be some positive applica-

tions for data collection.

Absolutely. And to be clear, I’m a

researcher, so I love data. It helps us

evaluate and improve current practices

in fields like health care and education.

It can influence better public policy,

such as organizing bus routes to be

more efficient. But the problem is that

there is currently very little regulation.

For example, a smart toilet can track

blood pressure and test urine. That has

positive implications when that

information goes to your doctor, but it

could also go to an insurance provider

who might not cover you because of

high blood pressure.

Short of moving to a cabin in the

woods, what can I do to get away from

Big Brother?

Don’t download apps indiscriminately.

You think it’s great that your phone is

going to tell you how many steps you’re

taking in a day, but recognize that, once

again, an insurance company might

also be interested in that information.

Other suggestions: Turn off your GPS

unless you need to find out how to get

somewhere, and don’t post pictures of

your kids or grandkids online without

their permission.

But they’re so cute.

It’s true. My grandson is the most

beautiful thing in the world, so I get it.

But posted photos contribute to a

digital trail that aids in a child being

categorized and monetized. If you

want to share photos, texting is a safer

way to do it.

FA S T FA C T S

Fair Trade?

According to a 2019

Accenture report, even

though 72 per cent of

us are cautious about the

privacy of our personal

data, half of us are willing

to hand it over to a bank

in exchange for perks

like faster loan approvals

and discounted member-

ships at the gym.

iPanic

Cambridge Dictio-

nary’s 2018 word of

the year was nomo-

phobia: the ‘fear or

worry of being with-

out your cell phone’.

The term is already re-

cognized by many in the

psychiatric community.

Agreement Ignored

Against Facebook’s poli-

cies, political consulting

firm Cambridge Analytica

harvested data from as

many as 87 million users

of the platform, employing

that data to influence

political outcomes, includ-

ing that of the Trump

campaign in 2016. IN

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