In the News
Tech giants are only gaining more enemies in the field of ethics and human rights. In Amnesty International latest to slam surveillance giants Facebook and Google as ‘incompatible’ with human rights, Greg Kumparak at TechCrunch discusses why Amnesty International has called out these tech giants on their use of data. Kumparak emphasizes that Amnesty International views these companies are providing more harm despite the useful services that they provide users. Kumparak furthers that this organization views the lack of privacy and use of user data for profit driven purposes as a violation of human rights and called for regulation on such malicious practices.
Our Take
Outcry from data misuse at large tech giants is far from rare in today’s social climate. We have seen sharp decreases in consumer trust with these companies as more and more instances of data breaches, exposures, and lack of transparency come to light. The notion of privacy as a human right applying to online privacy has also become a greater point of discussion in the civil sphere. However, few governments on either local or national levels have enacted regulation over these companies and their use of consumer data. Amnesty International’s decision to call these companies out of what they believe to be a violation of human rights supports the idea already present that such actions are not okay and should be altered to better serve the user rather than the companies themselves. It seems as though these practice rebukes are becoming more and more common and it seems likely that regulation is imminent to some extent.
Recommendations
How can you protect your privacy on social media platforms?
- Understand the risks of putting your personal information into the world, and only share what you have to
- Use safe password practices when creating online accounts, and take advantage of Multi-factor Authentication where possible
- Utilize additional security/privacy measures and settings on apps, accounts, and platforms whenever possible
- Limit the number of accounts that have access to your financial payment option
- Use privacy settings on your accounts when they are available
- Know your rights when it comes to data use and storage