Data Processing
The most valuable thing in today’s world is information. In this context, data is an important tool for accessing information. Today, companies from which services are purchased, can access various data of users through many applications, platforms or the social media we use, or personal data are voluntarily forwarded to the platforms or the social media by users. At this point, the issues that need to be considered are information security and data processing permission.
What is data processing? What kind of data are processed?
Data processing is the process of collecting data and transforming them into meaningful usable information. Today, many companies, brands or service providers need to access users' data for various reasons. Access to user data offers some advantages, as follows, for many brands or companies;
- Getting to know the target audience closely,
- Access to the right target audience,
- Faster access to the target audience,
- Access to the target audience though more channels,
- Creating better strategies.
The most important data that can be accessed are as follows;
- Name surname
- Age
- Gender
- Income status
- Marital status
- Education and career information
- Contact information such as address, telephone
- Brand or models of the devices, which are used
- Frequently locations visited and routes preferred
- Habits, hobbies etc.
- Shopping information, brands preferred
- Web sites visited and applications used etc.
The above-mentioned data and much more are processed by many applications. On the other hand, data processing permission is a permission that allows examining users’ information when an application is used, a service is purchased, a subscription made to a platform, and so on. Service providers, advertisers and brands need this permission in order to offer suitable offers, promotions and campaigns to users. However, in every case, this permission is not required and many users voluntarily transmit personal information about themselves to these platforms by using the social media platforms. Users allow the use of this data from the very beginning by using various platforms, and by creating various memberships.
What are the drawbacks of knowing these data?
Today, a lot of our information is available on digital platforms and some of this information is voluntarily transmitted by users. Knowing this data provides advantages especially for applications such as marketing and advertising, on the other hand, it may contain risks depending on the intended use of them.
The most important ones of these risks are as follows:
- Being deceived or defrauded; Using personal data by ill-intentioned people so as to deceive or defraud people, thereby trying to build credibility
- Being involved in crime; Committing crimes by ill-intentioned people using someone else's information
- Harassment or bullying; bothering, harassing or threatening people by ill-intentioned people
- Security flaws: breach of personal security, robberies, thefts to be made ill-intentioned people.
How should I protect my personal data?
In today's digital world, almost everyone's data is processed on various platforms and can be easily transferred. Although no negative situation is encountered mostly, there are some simple measures enabling individuals to protect their own personal data against potential risks.
- Not using or downloading untrusted programs, source of which are not clear.
- Paying attention to the content to be shared on the social media, and not sharing confidential information
- Preferring safe methods in shopping websites
- Being careful about e-mails sent by people you do not know
- Performing banking transactions on reliable platforms
- Using passwords or changing them frequently
- Being skeptical against the personal information to be requested
- Using official communication channels and disregarding informal communication channels
- Using anti-virus software and choosing safe software
- Using reliable search engines
- Not clicking every advertisement
- To know your rights, to get information about the Law of Protection of Personal Data
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