Metadata is descriptive information that identifies your communications and other activities. In other words, it is all the information that can be collected from your e-mails, phone calls, purchase histories, and different places you frequent. Governments around the world have been accused of obtaining and tracking metadata to keep track of citizens through legal means, without a search warrant, but opponents of this practice consider it a major violation of privacy.
What is metadata?
one of the most controversial aspects of the metadata collection is the vague definition of metadata. Almost all types of structured information can be grouped in the definition, but everything seems to be summarized as "data about data." Metadata can include IP addresses, email addresses, addresses, billing information, types of online services used, favorite websites, the date, time and duration of a communication, downloads, and the location of your computer, phone or other device.
What is the Big Deal?
on the surface, using metadata to protect citizens seems like a good idea, but it is a huge intrusion of privacy most people are not willing to accept . Where countries collect and store metadata in third or offshore data centers on a large scale, the security risk is unimaginable. opponents of these types of data storage systems, such as American whistleblower Edward Snowden, have said they are not public safety programs as they are touted, but they are spying programs.
Government entities such as the National Security Agency (NSA), the local police, and others took advantage of uncertain legal status metadata to collect data on innocent Americans. New technological advances, more targeted metadata becomes. For example, social media, not only reveals information such as a person's sexual orientation, but the status updates, check-ins, and GPS all, it's easy to track your daily itinerary and time in which your home is unoccupied.
workplace, metadata is frequently and unknowingly leaked out of the office, which results in sensitive corporate information being spread. The restriction or prohibition of the use of social media at work is irrelevant because the metadata is embedded in Microsoft Office documents, PDF files, email, images and other files, so it can be difficult to know how to protect yourself against unnecessary sharing, no matter who you are.
Metadata in action
When shopping, retailers keep track of every item you buy for statistical purposes. You've probably experienced the result of metadata when the cashier gives you coupons that are relevant to your purchase history. Retailers have even been able to correctly infer pregnancies customers based on purchasing data alone. In fact, the target was in the news in recent years to correctly guess that a teenager in Minnesota was pregnant, and the retailer has started sending product information related baby despite the fact that his father was unaware of her pregnancy. If this seems to be a major violation of privacy, it is -. And it is not only a problem limited to the US
In 2015, Australia adopted the controversial laws of metadata preservation that made it legal for the government and the police and metadata recording keep it on file for two years. And the Australian Government is not only allowed to keep this information - they are actively: every text message, email and phone call made in Australia will be monitored under the guise of protecting the country against organized crime and terrorism. This is the value of personal phone calls, website visits and other personal information collected on every Australian citizen two years -.? All without a single mandate
What this means to you
Everyone in the stores you frequent application of the local law is in your power personal information, but rather than stop there, it goes all the way to national security agencies and the federal government. It has become virtually impossible to prevent the metadata to be collected and stored on a large scale, and it is a huge problem of ethics that may have unintended consequences.
In Australia, where preservation of metadata is now legal, if you are a family fighting the court for custody of your children, your ex can assign personal data that can identify exactly where you are at a given time and how much you spend on nonessentials. Imagine having every aspect of your daily life examined to place blame on you as an individual, and we are only beginning to speculate about the consequences.
Prevent Free Metadata Collection
Luckily, regardless of whether your government felt retention metadata legal or not, there are ways to prevent it. The use of VPN server / proxy is a popular way to disguise your identity and fraudulent geo-locations. Masking your IP address is a good start, since you are essentially creating an intermediary who does not exist. Hotspot Shield is designed to keep all your information private and secure while offering unrestricted access to content, making it an ideal choice for Internet users who want to avoid a new collection of their personal information.
In addition to blocking your IP address, Hotspot Shield gives you a completely anonymous and improved safety online surfing experience that protects passwords, instant messages and transactions financial and best of all, the basic version is free (ad-supported)!
Protect your privacy by taking steps to prevent metadata storage systems to get your information. Download Hotspot Shield today.
0 Komentar