It is now possible to identify internet users through data exposed online. No matter how small, even to the usually ignored, people can be easily identified. Nothing is safe again as long as it has connected to the internet. Technology now makes it possible to identify user via device data linked to the internet. What about personal data or privacy, they are all at risk. Let us see how.
A Nigerian girl once posted on her Facebook wall, “I feel monitored whenever I subscribe to data bundle and connect online”. Perhaps, she was referring to how fast her data bundle gets exhausted. However, I guess there is more to this. New technology has revealed how people can be identified via internet data subscription. In addition, the relationship between data subscriptions consumed during internet browsing and user’s information has been established. Every byte of data holds user’s identity, as new technology has revealed. Despite assurances of confidentiality by online platforms that collect users’ data, true anonymity may have failed after all. In view of this, I shall show you in this article how to identify user via device data subscription over the internet. Medical records, credit card details, bank data, bio-data may not be safe anymore.
Research that Exposed Identifiable Nature of Users’ Data
New research conducted in a US University has revealed that your data, which you thought anonymous is not. Your data can easily be used to identify you from anywhere in the world.
According to some researchers from Imperial College London and the University of Louvain, over 99.98% of Americans can be correctly re-identified in any data-set. consequently, they have currently put to question if the global current practice as regards collection and handling of personally identifiable information really satisfy modern data protection laws.
Furthermore, the research revealed how easy it is to identify or unmask people via their so called “private” data. When you submit data online during filling of forms or online registration, a signature about the user registers on the data. In recent times, data collection has become part of every online exercise. These include medical records, banking transactions, national identity registration, social media and other website registrations, job applications etc.
Internet Users are Inter-connected
As we already knew, the internet is only a global network of computers, phones and other communication devices. Despite billions of devices in inter-connectivity, every single device is identifiable. This is made possible by the internet port (IP) address on every digital communication device. Therefore, every internet user is uniquely identifiable.
You may wish to read How Mobile Technology helps Personal Security
Everyone is susceptible to global identification, going by the volume of personally identifiable data on the internet today. For the reason that our data released online may not be anonymous, it has faulted claims of user confidentiality by online data collectors.
Finally, all personal records transmitted or stored online may not be exclusively yours. However, some data you provide online may be for third-party use. Sadly, there is a fourth-party or maybe fifth or sixth. Therefore, global ethical personal information management may have been compromised – no thanks to advancement in technology.
