Opinion | The myth and the sole truth

In this fast evolving world where every second is a new discovery, most of us are clueless that somebody, somewhere is watching us. Yes, you heard it right. Data privacy is a myth, and data science is the sole truth.

Be it Google, Amazon, Netflix, Uber, Apple, every tech giant is collecting tonnes of data from our devices, about our activities, and with our permission. From where we checked in last night, what we ate for dinner, what shows we like to watch, what items we prefer to buy, and where we live, they have the exact information. They use the principles of mathematics to extract science from our data and sell their artificial intelligence (AI) powered bots back to us at the cost of recommending our favourite dishes, shows, movies, etc. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Data can be used for various purposes, from re-creating your voice to your facial expressions, we can do it all, just with the relevant data.

Let’s take a simple example. Most of us have an Alexa or a Google mini at home. When powered on, it continuously records whatever we say, even when we are not specifically speaking to Alexa and just having a casual conversation with our family.

But, it is all legal as it is up to us what we would like to share with them. Most of us grant them all the permissions they ask for on our mobile phones, but we should always check why this particular permission to access our microphones, cameras, or gallery is needed. We can give them this permission only while using the app. This will stop a lot of background data theft. So, beware of the data you share. It is as simple as turning off Alexa after use.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of The Global Kashmir. Nor does The Global Kashmir endorse the views of the writer.)