Why do tech companies collect data and what are the risks?

 

It is said that data is the fuel of the 21st century and data analysis is the combustion engine of this data that enables companies to turn data into very valuable information that can generate millions of dollars. The good use of this user data that is collected by technology companies may help companies to double their revenues as this data is used mainly in advertisements and to improve user experience, and in our time there is no technology company, most likely, that is no longer accused of collecting user data, including Google, Facebook (WhatsApp), Amazon, Apple, even e-learning website Coursera and most other companies.

 

As for the users, this matter is very worrisome, especially if it comes to sensitive data such as personal conversations, and this is why the recent news about updates to the WhatsApp application has received great attention, as these updates oblige you to agree to collect your data and send it to Facebook, and if you do not agree, On that, you only have to delete the application completely from your phone, and in any case let's talk with you below about data collection, why most tech companies do this and what the risks are for users, in addition to how to find out what data is collected about you.

 

WhatsApp updates

 

Last year, the WhatsApp application sent a notification to all users when opening the application, as it contained a message stating that WhatsApp will start collecting data (officially), and this data will include any personal information such as name, account picture, phone number, and so on, in addition to Other information that can be expressed in the way you interact with the application such as the people you talk to, groups you join, etc. All this data will be collected about users and then sent to Facebook and other affiliate products (such as Instagram) in order to improve the targeting of ads.

 

Data collection by WhatsApp will be mandatory for all users, but if you don't want that to happen, you only have to delete your account from WhatsApp permanently, which means that you will not be able to use it. More privacy, but can WhatsApp really be replaced? The WhatsApp application has achieved more than 5 billion downloads in the Play Store only, and this means that the application is very popular beyond description, while the popularity of most other popular communication applications does not exceed 20% of this number.

 

 

Another very important question that arises is, do other communication apps, such as Signal and Telegram, really not collect data, or do they do so in the dark without informing users? And if these apps don't collect user data, how can they get the profits to cover their expenses? Could donations really be enough? In any case, protecting privacy is the task of every one of us these days no matter what apps or services you use it seems that nothing is completely safe in our time, so here is the most important data that applications collect about users and how it happens and how to Protect yourself and maintain your privacy.

 

Data that is collected

 

The data collected about users is divided into Declared data, which is the data that you enter yourself into the application or service that you use, such as name, email, phone number, date of birth, gender, age, and other information that varies from one application to another, and the second type of data Implicit data that is defined as human-computer interaction, and this data includes but is not limited to, web searches, mouse movements on your screen, and time spent on any page or video you view, all of this information and more belongs to the category of data The implication is that technology companies are very interested in.

 

To this extent, data collection may not be very dangerous for users, but unfortunately, this data cannot be enough for technology giants, as their data collection extends to more than that, with the aim of knowing all the details about users and studying them in detail, even the way Treat them from competitors in order to beat them, and technology companies often justify that they do so only in order to provide a better user experience, improve advertising targeting, and other justifications that may not appeal to some.

 

Data collection risks

 

In fact, data collection may not be dangerous in many cases, especially since we have already been living with this matter for years, and there was never a need to worry until when WhatsApp officially announced this matter, and these companies provide excellent services to users, who among us can He denies the importance of applications and sites such as Google, WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube and other services in our daily lives, and in terms of the privacy of this data, it is considered very safe, it is certain that the giant technology companies employ thousands of work crews to fill their security holes and improve the level of security for their servers, But this does not mean that there are no threats to these companies.

 

In the past, we have witnessed many hacking operations that happened to the largest international sites, even Facebook itself, as well as WhatsApp, where users were hacked by simply sending a message or making a call even without answering them, as well as Yahoo, Google, and other sites, which led to the leakage of data of millions of users. , and here the biggest problem for privacy appears, which is when these companies that collect data are hacked, in this case, this data may fall into the hands of hackers and intruders who may do a lot of heinous acts, not the worst of which is hacking users.

 

There are many steps that help you protect your phone and data from all threats and risks related to privacy, and we have talked about them in many articles before, but we can summarize them in some simple steps. From constantly updating applications and the operating system as these updates come with solutions to problems and security vulnerabilities, also do not forget to use strong passwords even if it requires the use of password management applications, and last but not least, you should not worry too much, as there is no need to worry Excessive information about this matter if you follow these tips in order to protect your privacy.

 

How can you find out what data is collected about you?

 

Among the factors that may help you protect your privacy and information on the Internet, is knowing what technology companies collect about you from personal data and information, and fortunately, you can find out this easy for most companies, as the law in America obliges them to do so, you can request to obtain your data from These services or applications are as follows:

 

Google

 

Google provides users with the Takeout tool, which enables users to request a copy of their information on various Google services and applications, and you can use this tool easily, at first go to it through the previous link, and then scroll down and choose the service you want, or you can select all, then scroll down to the last page and click on the next step, and in this step, you have to adjust the settings including the file type, delivery method, and process frequency, and finally click on Generate Export Process and you will have to wait a few days as well until you receive your data.

 

Facebook

 

Facebook is one of the largest social networking sites in the world, and it is also one of the largest sites that collect user data, because many spend a lot of their time on Facebook every day, and Facebook also allows you to download your data through the privacy settings, through the Your information section on Facebook, click on the option to download your information and then adjust the settings as you want and click on create the file, and wait until a notification is sent to Facebook that the information is ready to download.

 

You can also find your data for various other apps and websites that you use often, and you can find out by going to settings, privacy, etc., and looking for the option to download data, information, activity history, etc., although this data may not be all that is Tech companies know about you but it's still a good indicator of what data you're collecting.