Controlling electricity and water consumption value of data is the topic of the moment. The new GDPR, the Facebook scandals, the sale of information... All these issues have put the issue of privacy in the spotlight. In fact, it is common to find news about companies dealing with their customers' private information for profit. Most organizations have an interest in obtaining this data, but the methods of obtaining it vary. Given the high demand for this type of information, the question arises as to the value of the data and at what price it can be obtained.
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Large companies such as Google or Facebook are some of the main companies interested in obtaining their users' information. Unfortunately, in some cases their methods can be somewhat invasive. See why data is valuable and how these companies use it. In addition, we will take a look at the illicit purchase of information to check the value of data on the Dark Web.
Google and constant crawling
Google, the Internet giant, doesn't just crawl and index the content you search for. According to a study by the University of Pricetown, Google accesses the locations of mobile devices thanks to its own and third-party applications that use its technology. It doesn't matter if you turn off location history, Google will find a way to track your location for commercial purposes.
However, the company claims that its methodology is transparent with respect to geolocation. It claims to have several tools for «improving people's experience» in this regard: location history, Web and App activity, and device location services. In fact, one of the solutions to avoid this constant tracking is to deactivate the tool «Web and App activity».».
The information inherent in our usual locations is of great value. It shows what our preferences are in various ways and reveals where we usually make transactions. This not only violates users' privacy, but also enables the collection of private data. However, it must be said that few users carefully read the terms and conditions of the products they use and it is common for certain consents to be given irresponsibly.
Links between banks and Facebook
According to the Wall Street Journal, Facebook has negotiated with banks to cede customer data in order to improve its service offerings. In this sense, Zuckerberg intends to act as a bridge between banks and users of its platform. All these negotiations have taken place after the Cambridge Analytica scandal, The confidence in this brand has been damaged.
Although some of the utilities that Facebook wants to integrate into its platform are useful, they undoubtedly also involve some risk. For example, they intend to provide access to the balance of the user's bank accounts through Facebook's Messenger chat. The goal is always the same in these cases: to personalize the service. Although in some countries it is already possible to make transactions with PayPal through this platform, it seems difficult for it to replace banking applications.
The downside of all this is that Facebook would use this data to find out where, how and when its users shop. Although they deny that they will share banking data, it is clear that they will work with the information extracted from the transactions made, since they want to boost advertising, their main source of income, by offering much more specific products.
The value of data in the Dark Web
According to estimates made by several media such as El Economista, in the Dark Web, the value of the «complete pack» with all the personal data of an individual reaches 1,000 euros. Although it may seem expensive, if someone makes the investment they can find out who you are, where you live and what your job is in a matter of seconds. In reality, the value of data is incalculable, but we are not always aware of it.
According to Eddy Willems, a cyber expert at GData, a person's identity number costs about 70 euros. Bank account digits cost about 50 euros. As we can see, the leakage of our private data can endanger our economy and our own integrity.
It should be noted that most attacks are successful thanks to the carelessness of users. One of the most common cyber-attacks, phishing, is a technique for spreading e-mails with fraudulent and potentially dangerous files or links. In these cases it is common to receive fake emails from banks saying that there has been a problem. These communications usually generate alarm in order to get the user to click easily and infect his computer.
In conclusion, we must balance our privacy and the facilities provided by handing over our data, but we must always do so consciously. In addition, it is important to have basic notions in cybersecurity to avoid attacks whenever possible.