PLN and Privacy

Through my studies in EDCI 338, I have come to deeply appreciate the benefits of PLN, which allows me to explore the unrestricted online world to my heart’s content. At the same time, however, one question has led me to reflect: Does PLN protect users’ privacy, or does it infringe upon it?

First and foremost is the issue of user control over personal data. By visiting the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) website, I learned that users do indeed have the right to access, delete, modify, and be informed about their personal data. This reminds me that every time I download a new app, it asks for permission to access my contacts and photos; or if I no longer wish to use the app, I can choose to deactivate my account—all of which serve as evidence of user privacy protection. Not only that, but according to the General Data Protection Regulation, there are seven major provisions covering the following areas: Consent，Breach notification, Right to access, Right to be forgotten, Data portability, Privacy by design, Data protection officers (3 Things You Should Know About the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)，n.d.).

Image from www1.wdr.de

However, merely having control over personal data is not sufficient evidence of effective privacy protection. The biggest issue regarding PLN’s privacy violations is that many platforms today collect users’ personal data without their knowledge. In Canada, user privacy is regulated by PIPEDA, which aims to protect users from misuse by companies. However, since many PLN platforms operate across borders, users often have no way of knowing how they operate. It is easy to see that most platforms require users to provide personal information, including names, phone numbers, addresses, and email addresses. However, most users do not deeply consider how this constitutes a significant invasion of privacy, nor do they read through the lengthy privacy policies provided by the platforms. Users have not received clear answers from the platforms regarding whether their data is susceptible to leaks. For example, Facebook has the privacy issues mentioned above. Research by Consumer Reports privacy experts finds that some of Facebook’s privacy settings remain confusing and hard to use. The researchers found that the design and language used in Facebook’s privacy controls nudge people toward sharing the maximum amount of data with the company (St John, 2018). It’s hard to imagine where this data ultimately ends up, or whether it’s used for commercial purposes—questions that users may never know the answers to.

For my final project, I will also be collecting data from the PLN, but I am fully aware of the importance of privacy, so I will choose to collect publicly available data and do my best to ensure my actions are conducted in a responsible manner.

References

3 things you should know about the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). (n.d.-b). https://www.aacrao.org/resources/newsletters-blogs/aacrao-connect/article/3-things-you-should-know-about-the-eu-general-data-protection-regulation–gdpr-?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=12966759332&gclid=Cj0KCQjwmunNBhDbARIsAOndKpl9W0zoEkIt5BPvnxEqVG9NrBsJUfk7dcs0JwhtJA9_wl_gXa6fPnwaApPcEALw_wcB%E8%BF%99%E5%BA%94%E8%AF%A5%E6%98%AF%E4%B8%80%E4%B8%AA

St John, A. (2018b, June 27). CR researchers find Facebook privacy settings maximize data collection. Consumer Reports. https://www.consumerreports.org/electronics/privacy/cr-researchers-find-facebook-privacy-settings-maximize-data-collection-a1191271465/