UFC Que-choisir, the French consumer association mentioned in the first part of our article, has also tried to warn consumers with the “Je ne suis pas une data” (I am not a data) campaign.
The campaign includes a reminder of the right to access and delete data, as well as a series of tips for using the Internet (caution when using social networks and surfing in general, strong passwords, alternative search engines, etc.). However, we have seen that the right of access and deletion do exist, but that in reality it is difficult to implement due to the reluctance of the majority of sites.
The fundamental rights of consumers are based on a contract of trust that is currently not respected.
Currently, this is clearly not the model offered on merchant sites.
For now, careful browsing remains the only solution. The most frequently cited principles are:
However, reading the terms and conditions of each website is extremely time-consuming, and even these measures are not enough to guarantee the protection of our data. Some go even further and completely customize their tools, removing all social networks and the most popular browsers such as Google – one of the biggest data collectors.
Without going that far, there are some more accessible tools.
However, these methods require slightly more advanced use of Internet tools than the average user, or expense (purchasing a VPN subscription). Having to pay to protect your privacy may seem excessive…
Right now, the problem seems difficult to solve. Companies want our data, and we’re not ready to stop our current consumption of the Web. We can only hope that the powers that be will introduce stricter regulations on data collection; the European Union is undoubtedly the most advanced in this respect.
Come back in April for our next theme: deepfakes. In the meantime, if you have a movie, series, software or e-book to protect, don’t hesitate to contact one of our account managers for our services; PDN has been a pioneer in cybersecurity and anti-piracy for over a decade, and we’re sure to have a solution to help you. Enjoy reading and see you soon!
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