Have you ever shared something with a close or trusted friend and then later regretted it?
Maybe you shared a secret or a piece of important information you wanted to keep private. But your friend told other people without asking you first and it, of course, broke your heart.
What Is Consent?
According to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), consent is any free, specific, informed, and unambiguous expression by way of a statement or unambiguous active act that the data subjects accept concerning the processing of personal data.
In simpler words, consent means getting permission or approval before sharing or using someone’s personal information.
In the digital world, the protection of personal information or data has become increasingly critical. Information privacy refers to the right an individual has to control the use, collection, and dissemination of their personal information.
Personal information includes name, age, residential address, medical history, financial records, and many more.
Companies and websites sometimes ask for your personal information, and that’s where consent comes in. To approve your consent, they might ask you to click a button, fill out a form, or display a banner that asks you to decline or accept cookies and other forms.
Importance of Consent
The importance of consent in gaining control over our personal information cannot be overstated and here are some examples.
To have control over personal data
Consent gives individuals the ability to control their personal data and decide how it is used. Without consent, personal data could be shared or used without the individual’s knowledge or permission, leading to potential harm or misuse of the data.
Trust and transparency
When websites or companies ask for consent, it promotes transparency and builds trust with users. Users are more likely to trust and engage with companies that are open about their data practices and ask for permission before using personal information.
Compliance with laws and regulations
In many countries, there are laws and regulations that require companies to obtain consent before collecting, using, or sharing personal information. Obtaining consent helps companies comply with these laws and regulations and avoid legal consequences
Protection against data breaches
When individuals give their consent, they can limit the amount of personal information that companies or websites collect. This reduces the risk of data breaches or cyberattacks, which can result in sensitive personal information being exposed.
Your personal information is valuable, and it is essential to protect it. You also have the right to say no. If you do not feel comfortable sharing your personal information, you can always click no and keep it private.
Consequences of Not Seeking Consent
Just as we have the importance of seeking consent about our personal information, we also have a wide range of negative consequences of not seeking consent, they are:
Impacts on mental health
The effects are not only frustrating and time-consuming to deal with but also have long-lasting impacts on our financial and personal lives. That is why it is vital for companies and websites to obtain our consent before collecting, using, or sharing our personal information, and for us to be aware of the risks of sharing personal information without fully understanding how it will be used
Malicious act
When companies or websites collect personal information without our consent, it leads to serious consequences like identity theft and fraud. This means that someone else might use our personal information to open credit cards or access loans in our name or make fraudulent purchases.
Unwanted marketing and spam
If personal information is collected without consent, it may be used to send unwanted marketing messages or spam to individuals via email. This can be annoying and intrusive, and may even lead to individuals being targeted for scams or fraud.
Decreased innovation
Lack of consent stifles innovative growth and reduces the amount of data that is available to researchers and developers. Without access to personal data, it is more difficult to develop new technologies or improve existing ones.
When it comes to using the internet, there are some ways and crucial steps to take to safeguard your personal information. This ensures that you are in control of your online presence.
- Use strong and unique passwords from password manager: Create strong passwords that are difficult to guess, and use a unique password for each account to prevent hackers from accessing multiple accounts if one password is compromised. Also, you could make use of passwords generated by password managers to make them different and not easy to access.
- Use two-factor or three-factor authentication: If the password is a cake, then two-factor authentication serves as the icing. Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring a code or confirmation from a second device in addition to a password. This tightens the security of all your personal information.
- Review privacy settings: Review the privacy settings on your social media and other online accounts to ensure that you are only sharing information with those you trust, and limit the amount of personal information that is shared publicly.
- Avoid redirect links: Some websites post links to ads and links to other sites and content. You can mistakenly click on a link and it can redirect you to another page. While redirect links can be useful in some cases, they can also be used for malicious purposes, such as pushing scams or installing malware on your device. By being mindful of redirect links and taking steps to verify their safety, you can reduce the risk of falling victim.
- Be careful with personal information: Be cautious with sharing personal information online, and only provide information that is necessary for the task at hand. Avoid sharing sensitive information like social security numbers, credit card numbers, and passwords unless absolutely necessary.
Another important tip is to stay updated and informed about privacy issues and risks. Follow blogs and read articles on how to protect your information from hackers and cyberattacks.
Taking the necessary steps to protect your privacy may require some effort, but the peace of mind and security it provides are well worth it.
