Debbie Reynolds Consulting, LLC reposted this
The Data Diva | Data Privacy & Emerging Technologies Advisor | Technologist | Keynote Speaker | Helping Companies Make Data Privacy and Business Advantage | Advisor | Futurist | #1 Data Privacy Podcast Host | Polymath
Privacy is Safety. I never thought this could happen to me in a million years, but I was once the target of cyberstalking. I was able to STOP cyberstalking through technical means and legal remedies. I was lucky. Yet, it becomes easier every day to use technology designed with good intentions to misuse and abuse data to harass and intimidate others. According to Safe Home dot org, 80 % of all stalking victims are tracked using technology. We all can be tracked through apps we use without a second thought, and cyber harassment through relentless digital means can seem inescapable. Children are blackmailed with intimate photos. People can be humiliated by non-consensual deepfakes. Apps and devices can make tracking and revealing your location and every move trivially easy. Even hacked smart glasses a stranger wears can invade your life with a passing glance. These aren't just theoretical situations —they happen to real people daily. Any data-collecting company that cares about consumers should also examine privacy through the lens of personal safety. Location tracking, data collection, data sharing, data sales, and features that can be abused to harass and intimidate can turn deadly. I have seen this kind of tragedy play out with my own eyes. Regulation, although important, can't keep up with the emerging threats that people face day by day. Companies should consider privacy a safety issue and proactively develop and implement new technologies with this in mind as part of their product development and implementation. I applaud companies like Google and Apple, which collaborated on AirTag notifications so that people using Android or Apple's OS would be alerted if an AirTag was being used to track them without their knowledge. We need more brilliant ideas like this. Brands that treat privacy as a safety issue can help restore that trust. The tools, talent, and expertise exist to solve the privacy and safety challenges we face when adopting emerging technologies. All that is needed is the will for organizations to make changes that can positively impact consumers and help them invest in brands that help them protect their privacy and safety. Privacy shouldn't be just a legal checkbox exercise —it's an opportunity to protect lives and data through innovation. People will trust and patronize brands that prioritize their privacy and safety. We can treat privacy as a safety issue and make it a business advantage. Reach out to me if your organization needs help or support. See my November 2024 "The Data Privacy Advantage" Newsletter introducing Privacy's "Safety by Design" Framework. Debbie Reynolds Consulting, LLC If you or someone you know is a victim of cyberstalking, please call the Stalking Resource Center National Center for Victims of Crime Helpline at 800-FYI-CALL for help. #dataprivacy #datadiva #cybersecurity #Privacy #Safety #DataProtection #EndHarassment #DigitalSafety #safetybydesign #cyberstalking