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Tag: data privacy

  • TikTok, Meta take EU to court over digital antitrust rules

    TikTok, Meta take EU to court over digital antitrust rules

    Big Tech companies are coming out of the woodwork to challenge the European Commission’s new enforcement regime for digital competition with TikTok and Meta Platforms filing legal appeals this week.

    Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta and Microsoft are all considered “gatekeeper” companies under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), the European Union’s new digital rulebook, for 22 core online services they run — everything from app stores and social networks to messaging services and online marketplaces.

    Meta on Wednesday was the first to say it had filed a legal challenge to the EU’s revamped enforcement regime before the European Union’s General Court, disputing EU officials’ decision to bring its Marketplace and Messenger services in scope of the new digital competition rulebook.

    TikTok’s owner ByteDance on Thursday argued its video-sharing platform was wrongly labeled as a social network under the new law. The firm also took issue with being targeted as a digital giant when it sees itself as a challenger to the other “gatekeeper” companies that have a vast ecosystem of digital services.

    The six targeted firms had until November 16 to file their legal paperwork. Some already indicated that they aren’t happy with the new labels the Commission has given them, according to filings published online in recent weeks.

    Already some companies are making changes to how they run their businesses in Europe. Facebook and Instagram will offer paid ad-free subscriptions in the EU. Google has been opening up data sharing as part of German and Italian antitrust cases.

    Their other option is to convince European Union judges to overturn the Commission’s decisions.

    But we don’t understand!

    Companies designated as gatekeepers can ask the EU’s General Court to cancel individual decisions. That’s precisely what Meta and TikTok did in their filings Wednesday.

    Alfonso Lamadrid, a partner at law firm Garrigues, said they could claim that they don’t understand why certain services were caught by the law and that EU officials failed to give “sufficient reasoning.”

    They could also file appeals — either now or later — on the Commission’s probes to determine whether Apple’s iMessage, along with Microsoft’s Bing search engine, its Edge web browser and its advertising service, should be considered core platform services. There’s a February 6 deadline to wrap those up. Another probe into Apple’s iPadOS has until September 6 next year.

    Lamadrid — who has worked with Google on antitrust challenges including the tech giant’s recent court appeal against an antitrust fine for its shopping service — said he doesn’t think Big Tech firms “will be taking the decision to appeal very lightly.”

    Who might grumble?

    Meta and TikTok aren’t the only gatekeepers unhappy with the Commission’s decisions so far. 

    Meta isn’t the only gatekeeper unhappy with the Commission’s decisions so far | Drew Angerer/Getty Images

    Apple previously argued with the Commission that its services shouldn’t be subject to the new rules, according to the Commission documents.

    Apple tried unsuccessfully to convince officials that its App Store comes in five separate versions for different devices and that its Safari browser in three, which would reduce the number of active users for each service. Apple didn’t respond to a request for comment.

    ByteDance told the Commission earlier that its viral video app is “about content discovery, not about establishing or maintaining real-world connections,” according to an EU decision published last month.

    Telecoms companies are also unhappy. They told the Commission it should designate Apple’s iMessage as a core platform service that needs to follow DMA curbs, according to a letter to Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton seen by POLITICO.

    What are the others saying?

    Microsoft is classified as a gatekeeper for its social network LinkedIn and Windows PC operating service. Microsoft spokesperson Robin Koch said in September that the tech giant “accepts our designation as a gatekeeper under the Digital Markets Act and will continue to work with the European Commission” to meet its obligations.

    Alphabet — which has eight core platform services targeted under the DMA, including Google Search and web browser Chrome — said in September it will “work closely with the European Commission and other stakeholders” and would “make changes that meet the new requirements while protecting the user experience.”

    Alphabet — which has eight core platform services targeted under the DMA, including Google Search and web browser Chrome — said in September it will “work closely with the European Commission and other stakeholders” and would “make changes that meet the new requirements while protecting the user experience.” | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

    Amazon’s marketplace and advertising businesses were both labeled as core platform services under the DMA in September. The company said at the time it is “committed to delivering services that meet our customers’ requirements within Europe’s evolving regulatory landscape” and would “work constructively with the European Commission as we finalize our implementation plans.”

    Amazon earlier this year did challenge another digital label in the EU, asking a court to cancel the Commission’s declaration that it was a Very Large Online Platform.

    But with just four months to go now until the rules are enforceable, any challenge could just poke the bureaucratic bear.

    “This is now an important moment in time for compliance,” Lamadrid said, “so it’s not ideal to have pending court proceedings while you’re trying to negotiate with the Commission on compliance… I don’t think it’s in the company’s best interest to antagonize the Commission.”

    This article was updated on November 16 to include recent developments.

    Edith Hancock

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  • Here’s How to Remove Personal Information From Google Search | Entrepreneur

    Here’s How to Remove Personal Information From Google Search | Entrepreneur

    If you’ve ever Googled yourself, it can be scary to see how much the web knows about you — and how hard it is to scrub the information.

    Now, Google is making it a little easier. The company launched a “remove this result” feature, currently in Beta mode, which allows users to file a request to eliminate phone numbers, emails, and home addresses from appearing in Google Search results.

    To remove your personal information from Google search results:

    • Search for your name, and click the three vertical dots next to a relevant result/website.
    • Select “remove this result” and choose the appropriate removal reason.
    • Log into your Google account, enter the relevant information, and click “send.”

    You’ll receive a removal decision via email after a few days.

    If you need to remove personal information beyond phone numbers, email addresses, and home addresses, choose the “content contains your personal information” option. There, you can have sensitive data, such as Social Security and bank account numbers, removed — as well as images of signatures, pictures of an ID, and more.

    To track your request, access the “data & privacy” settings within your Google Account, scroll down to “my activity,” then press the three dots in the search bar and select “other activity.” From there, you can manage results related to you and check the status of your request.

    You can also submit a request, here.

    However, an approved removal request doesn’t mean it’s gone from the Internet or the specific website where it was originally posted, CNBC added. It will just remove it from appearing in Google results.

    The “remove this result” tool is part of Google’s “results about you” feature that launched last year.

    Madeline Garfinkle

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  • Consumer group says Mastercard is selling cardholders’ data without their knowledge

    Consumer group says Mastercard is selling cardholders’ data without their knowledge

    Mastercard keeps detailed records of the spending habits of its credit card holders, which it then sells to third-party companies — often without customers’ knowledge.

    That’s according to a report published Thursday by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), which says that Mastercard has built a separate division dedicated to the selling of customer transaction data which has become a huge revenue stream for the global payments technology company. 

    The problem is that most consumers are not aware of the degree to which their data is being tracked and sold or that the sale of such personal data exposes them to identity theft and scams, in addition to “creepily invasive” advertising, the consumer advocacy group warns.

    “Mastercard is so opaque about its data sales it’s almost certain most cardholders don’t realize what the company is doing with their data,” R.J. Cross, policy analyst for U.S. PIRG, told CBS MoneyWatch. 

    The data Mastercard sells is “aggregated and anonymized,” meaning third-parties don’t have customers’ individual information, according to the PIRG report. While that mitigates some of the consumer risks that come with data monetization, it does not prevent companies from “reaching people on an individual level based on data” or being bombarded with annoying ads, according to the consumer agency. 

    With that in mind, consumer advocates from nine organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Digital Democracy, sent a letter to Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach this week asking him to stop selling customers’ data. 

    Mastercard, the nation’s second largest credit card issuer, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from MoneyWatch Thursday. 


    Tech companies using your personal data to train AI

    04:43

    Rise of data brokers

    In the past decade, U.S. companies have come to realize there are big bucks in storing and selling the spending habits of customers. Companies involved in this practice have become known as data brokers.

    Data brokers sell consumer information they’ve collected to third-party marketers who then use the intelligence to build and push targeted ads to individuals based on their race, geography, age, education or other demographics. 

    The data-broker industry, which is expected to reach $462 billion by 2031, has come under increased scrutiny from Congress and regulators in recent years. Lawmakers have probed top executives of major tech companies, as well as smaller data brokers, for information about their handling of consumers’ location data from mobile phones, and the steps they have taken to protect the privacy rights of individuals.


    Federal government is buying your data, report says

    04:50

    From card companies to car companies

    To be sure, Mastercard isn’t the only credit card company engaging in the practice. American Express sells data through third-party analytics company, Wiland, according to news site Marketing Brew. Visa, the nation’s largest credit card issuer, sold its cardholder data for a period, but shut down its private data selling operation in 2021, Marketing Brew reported.

    Cellphone companies also sell data that customers generate from using apps. 

    Automakers are also steeped in consumer data, Cross said. “Cars collect so much personal information it’s shocking  — and they are no stranger to data breaches, too,” she said. 

    Advanced features on cars such as touch sensors, cameras and GPS, collect data from drivers and passengers that is often stored by the car company, according to Mozilla. Car manufacturers sell personal data that they’re willing to share with government agencies or law enforcement without a court order, a Mozilla Foundation study published this month found.

    In 2022, Google agreed to pay a $391.5 million settlement with 40 states in connection with an investigation by state attorneys general into how the company tracked users’ locations. The investigation by the states found that Google continued to track people’s location data even after they selected a privacy setting to block the company from doing so.

    Cross said she recently applied for a Mastercard to see if the company gives customers the option to opt out of having their data sold to third parties. 

    “In all the materials I saw, none of them clearly stated what’s happening and I never was given a box to check saying ‘Yes, I consent to Mastercard selling my data,'” she said. In other words, “By default, just by having a Mastercard, your data is being sold,” Cross said.

    Khristopher J. Brooks

    Khristopher J. Brooks is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering business, consumer and financial stories that range from economic inequality and housing issues to bankruptcies and the business of sports.

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  • Carmakers doing little to protect the vast amounts of data that vehicles collect, study shows

    Carmakers doing little to protect the vast amounts of data that vehicles collect, study shows

    Boston — Cars are getting an “F” in data privacy. Most major manufacturers admit they may be selling your personal information, a new study finds, with half also saying they’d share it with the government or law enforcement without a court order.

    The proliferation of sensors in automobiles – from telematics to fully digitized control consoles – has made them prodigious data-collection hubs.

    But drivers are given little or no control over the personal data their vehicles collect, researchers for the nonprofit Mozilla Foundation said Wednesday in their latest “Privacy Not Included” survey. Security standards are also vague, a big concern given automakers’ track record of susceptibility to hacking.

    “Cars seem to have really flown under the privacy radar and I’m really hoping that we can help remedy that because they are truly awful,” said Jen Caltrider, the study’s research lead. “Cars have microphones and people have all kinds of sensitive conversations in them. Cars have cameras that face inward and outward.”

    Unless they opt for a used, pre-digital model, car buyers “just don’t have a lot of options,” Caltrider said.

    Cars scored worst for privacy among more than a dozen product categories – including fitness trackers, reproductive-health apps, smart speakers and other connected home appliances – that Mozilla has studied since 2017.

    Not one of the 25 car brands whose privacy notices were reviewed – chosen for their popularity in Europe and North America – met the minimum privacy standards of Mozilla, which promotes open-source, public interest technologies and maintains the Firefox browser. By contrast, 37% of the mental health apps the non-profit reviewed this year did.

    Nineteen automakers say they can sell your personal data, their notices reveal. Half will share your information with government or law enforcement in response to a “request” – as opposed to requiring a court order. Only two – Renault and Dacia, which are not sold in North America – offer drivers the option to have their data deleted.

    “Wiretaps on wheels”

    “Increasingly, most cars are wiretaps on wheels,” said Albert Fox Cahn, a technology and human rights fellow at Harvard’s Carr Center for Human Rights Policy. “The electronics that drivers pay more and more money to install are collecting more and more data on them and their passengers.”

    “There is something uniquely invasive about transforming the privacy of one’s car into a corporate surveillance space,” he added.

    A trade group representing the makers of most cars and light trucks sold in the U.S., the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, took issue with that characterization. In a letter sent Tuesday to U.S. House and Senate leadership, it said it shares “the goal of protecting the privacy of consumers.”

    It called for a federal privacy law, saying a “patchwork of state privacy laws creates confusion among consumers about their privacy rights and makes compliance unnecessarily difficult.” The absence of such a law enables connected devices and smartphones to amass data for tailored ad targeting and other marketing — while also raising the odds of massive information theft through cybersecurity breaches.

    The Associated Press asked the alliance, which has resisted efforts to provide car owners and independent repair shops with access to onboard data, if it supports allowing car buyers to automatically opt out of data collection and granting them the option of having collected data deleted.

    Spokesman Brian Weiss said that for safety reasons the group “has concerns” about letting customers completely opt out but does endorse giving them greater control over how the data is used in marketing and by third parties.

    Some “sexual activity” data collected  

    In a 2020 Pew Research survey, 52% of Americans said they had opted against using a product or service because they were worried about the amount of personal information it would collect about them.

    On security, Mozilla’s minimum standards include encrypting all personal information on a car. The researchers said most car brands ignored their emailed questions on the matter, and those that did offeried partial, unsatisfactory responses.

    Japan-based Nissan astounded researchers with the level of honesty and detailed breakdowns of data collection its privacy notice provides, a stark contrast with Big Tech companies such as Facebook or Google. “Sensitive personal information” collected includes driver’s license numbers, immigration status, race, sexual orientation and health diagnoses.

    Further, Nissan says it can share “inferences” drawn from the data to create profiles “reflecting the consumer’s preferences, characteristics, psychological trends, predispositions, behavior, attitudes, intelligence, abilities, and aptitudes.”

    It was among six car companies that said they could collect “genetic information” or “genetic characteristics,” the researchers found.

    Nissan also said it collected information on “sexual activity.” It didn’t explain how.

    The “creepiness index”   

    The all-electric Tesla brand scored high on Mozilla’s “creepiness” index. If an owner opts out of data collection, Tesla’s privacy notice says the company may not be able to notify drivers “in real time” of issues that could result in “reduced functionality, serious damage, or inoperability.”

    Neither Nissan nor Tesla immediately responded to questions about their practices.

    Mozilla’s Caltrider credited laws like the 27-nation European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation and California’s Consumer Privacy Act with compelling carmakers to provide existing data collection information.

    It’s a start, she said — by raising awareness among consumers, just as happened in the 2010s when a consumer backlash prompted TV makers to offer more alternatives to surveillance-heavy connected displays.

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  • RBI DG Sankar calls for fintech SRO to proactively address industry issues

    RBI DG Sankar calls for fintech SRO to proactively address industry issues

    RBI Deputy Governor T Rabi Sankar, on Tuesday, called for self-regulatory organisations (SROs) in the fintech industry to proactively address issues such as market integrity, conduct, data privacy, cybersecurity, and risk management.

    “As regulators continue to contemplate, implement, and refine regulations for the orderly development of the fintech sector, SROs could play a pivotal role in the fintech industry by promoting responsible practices and maintaining ethical standards,” said Sankar at the Global Fintech Fest 2023.

    These industry-led bodies will help establish guidelines and codes of conduct that foster transparency, fair competition, and consumer protection. Further, they will facilitate collaboration between fintech firms, regulators, and stakeholders, creating a framework for innovation with guardrails, he said, adding that SROs will help build trust among consumers, investors, and regulators.

    “What is different about the recent financial innovations is the speed and scope of such changes making them potentially much more disruptive,” he said, adding that rapid technology changes can outpace regulatory frameworks, thus raising issues about market integrity, consumer protection, data privacy, and fair market practices.

    Fintechs have brought about transformation in the form of increased efficiency, with which financial products and services are delivered and consumed. This has been driven by digitisation of information for easier access, processing and transmission, direct interface between buyers and sellers, borrowers and lenders, and payers and receivers, and democratisation of fast communication channels.

    “Put together, these efficiencies lead to lower cost, quicker transactions and better inclusion. This is clearly a desirable outcome and one that should be actively encouraged and promoted, which is what the focus of policy making and regulation currently is,” Sankar said.

    In turn, traditional financial players are reacting by either internalising innovations to compete with fintechs, or are collaborating with fintechs through one-to-one partnerships or by purchasing their services.

    The second route is more functional because fintechs can perform in areas where they have a competitive advantage and banks can focus on their areas of their expertise. While customers benefit from curated products and services at competitive prices, the regulator also takes comfort from the fact that the traditional players are well regulated.

    “Perhaps the sweet spot lies in fintechs acting as both competitors as well as collaborators. The existence of competition is necessary to create incentives for fintechs to invest in innovations as well as pushing traditional entities to stay on their toes. At the same time, collaboration is essential for innovations to be absorbed into the financial systems,” he said.

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  • Want to Build Trust? Focus on Data Privacy | Entrepreneur

    Want to Build Trust? Focus on Data Privacy | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Did you know that 422.14 million people were impacted by data compromises in 2022 in the US alone? With increasing instances of data breaches and unauthorized data use, it’s no wonder that data privacy has become the top priority for customers. A Cisco report states that 76% of people say they would not buy from a company they do not trust with their data.

    As a result, you must apply comprehensive data safety measures to retain your customers’ trust in your company. This is especially crucial in marketing because customer data collection, storage and analysis drive modern marketing.

    If you are wondering how you can take measures to safeguard customer data while marketing and bolster their trust in your company, you’re at the right place! I’ve put together this guide to help you understand data privacy in marketing in simple terms. It will also help you devise cost-effective strategies to adhere to customer data regulations.

    Related: 8 Ways a Data Breach Could Take Out Your Company Tomorrow

    Understanding data privacy in marketing

    Data privacy in marketing refers to protecting and responsibly handling consumer information collected throughout your marketing endeavors. Why is this crucial?

    Marketers engage in a plethora of data collection and handling activities. This includes personal and behavioral data that help them gain insights into their target audience and provide personalized experiences. However, the threat of data privacy breaches is growing daily, and a breach can have severe consequences.

    These include reputational damage, legal repercussions, financial loss and loss of customer trust. So, every marketer must prioritize customer data security and comply with privacy regulations. Let’s understand how this works.

    Related: Schools Are Getting Slammed By Cyberattacks and Student Data Is No Longer Safe. Here’s How to Navigate Cybersecurity in the New, Digital Classroom

    Ensuring customer data protection

    First, you must ensure your website is secure, and consumer data is used for legitimate purposes. After all, the Harvard Business Review found that 84% of consumers avoid shopping from brands with suspicious websites. But there’s more! Here are the critical methods you must apply carefully to safeguard your consumer’s privacy and trust.

    1. Compliance with data protection regulations

    The most important step is to ensure compliance with data protection regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the United States. These two acts are the primary customer data regulation frameworks, and if not followed, they lead to substantial fines and reputational damage.

    CCPA, which was enacted in 2020, grants consumers the right to know about collected personal data and request the deletion of their information. It mandates the organizations to provide a list of third-party organizations that will have access to the data upon request from the customer. Enterprises failing to comply with the regulation can face statutory damages that range from $100 to $750 per consumer per incident.

    GDPR was enacted in 2018. It grants individuals control over their data. Businesses that comply must obtain informed consent for data collection, provide privacy policies and notices and implement measures to protect the data. Noncompliance can result in a fine of €20 million or 4% of total revenue, whichever is higher.

    By incorporating stringent measures as per these laws, you will fulfill the legal requirements and instill confidence in consumers regarding their information and strengthen the brand reputation.

    2. Implementing Multi-factor Authentication (MFA)

    Multi-factor authentication is an added layer of security for enhancing data security in marketing, and it is growing in use due to its effectiveness and ease of use. Under MFA, users must provide multiple forms of verification, such as a password or code sent to their phone number or email.

    As a marketer, you can implement MFA across customer portals, employee access, and administrative dashboard. You can also go a step ahead and implement advanced methods such as biometric systems to strengthen security further.

    With MFA, you can significantly decrease the risk of a data breach by allowing only authorized individuals access to sensitive customer data. This will naturally bolster consumer trust regarding your data handling practices.

    Related: Safeguarding Your Corporate Environment from Social Engineering

    3. Implementing Decentralized Finance

    DeFi is an innovative technology that uses blockchain to create a decentralized ecosystem for secure financial data management. As per a recent survey report by Antier Solutions, about 15-20% of small businesses are already utilizing DeFi services for financing successfully. This indicates that Defi is living up to its promise of safety and reliability. But what makes it so effective, you may ask?

    DeFi platforms use ledger technology and cryptography to decentralize data storage and eliminate potential risks. Moreover, DeFi uses smart contracts to ensure transparency between both entities. Smart contracts are self-executing contracts that automatically execute predefined conditions and are stored in blockchain. You can utilize smart contracts to obtain consent from consumers regarding data collection and usage.

    In contrast to Defi, traditional centralized financing has data storage systems that pose inherent vulnerabilities to data breaches. So, vulnerability at even a single point can allow hackers to extract data.

    4. Prioritize Supplier and Vendor Security

    Marketers who collaborate with third-party suppliers and vendors may provide access to consumer data. If you are amongst them, it is necessary to conduct due diligence when selecting partners. Furthermore, your contracts with them should include provisions that require third parties to comply with the same data protection and privacy standards as you.

    5. Establish Incident Response Plans

    Despite all measures, there’s always a risk of things going south as technologies develop rapidly! So, developing a comprehensive incident response plan is vital as it helps you effectively address and mitigate the impact of any data breaches or privacy issues. Here’s what you must do to establish an effective incident response plan-

    • Start by establishing a cross-functional incident response team. This must comprise individuals from different departments, such as IT, communication, legal, etc., to bring together a range of expertise.
    • You must have an escalation plan ready to ensure incidents are promptly forwarded to the appropriate management level.
    • Develop clear communication protocols for both the internal stakeholders and external parties, such as the affected customers and regulatory authorities.
    • Designate official spokespersons for prompt and transparent communication because it helps maintain trust and demonstrates a commitment to addressing the incident responsibly.

    Lastly, don’t wait for emergencies! Conduct regular tabletop exercises and simulations to test the effectiveness of your plans and identify areas for improvement.

    Summing up

    Data privacy has become the most fundamental aspect of maintaining customer trust and building strong relationships in the era of data-driven digital marketing. Its importance cannot be overstated in a world where data breaches are rising in frequency and customers are increasingly sensitive about their data safety.

    So, remember to analyze and implement the points in this guide carefully and always stay up-to-date with the latest privacy regulations, data security threats, and customer expectations. The area of data safety is constantly evolving, and only the most agile and vigilant marketers will find lasting success.

    Vikas Agrawal

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  • How AI is Transforming SEO for Small Businesses | Entrepreneur

    How AI is Transforming SEO for Small Businesses | Entrepreneur

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    Once upon a time, the SEO game was all about keywords and backlinks. The more you had of each, the higher your site would climb on the search engine results page. But boy, how the times have changed! Today, we’re standing on the brink of an AI revolution that’s flipping the script on SEO as we know it.

    Indeed, AI is whipping up a storm of transformations in the SEO world, and small businesses are finding themselves right at the heart of this tempest. In the fast-paced, ever-evolving realm of SEO, the old adage seems to be spot on: the only constant in life truly is change.

    These changes are not just cosmetic touch-ups or minor tweaks; they fundamentally alter how we approach SEO. It’s as if we’re explorers navigating uncharted territory in the vast landscape of digital marketing. And the compass guiding our way? Artificial Intelligence.

    AI is not merely a tool in this journey; it’s the vehicle driving us forward. It’s reshaping the roadways of SEO, constructing new bridges over the gulfs of user intent, and tearing down the old walls of keyword stuffing and link-spamming.

    And who’s in the driving seat of this transformation? Small businesses. Yes, it’s the small businesses, the underdogs of the corporate world, that are seizing the opportunities offered by AI, revolutionizing their approach to SEO, and taking their digital presence to new heights.

    Related: Why Combining Public Relations and SEO Will Propel Your Business in Today’s Digital Landscape

    Understanding AI in SEO

    Artificial intelligence is no longer the stuff of science fiction. It’s here, it’s now, and it’s making a big splash in the SEO pool. AI algorithms, like Google’s RankBrain, are changing the rules of the game, making it more about user intent and less about keyword stuffing.

    The shift from keywords to user intent — Long gone are the days of mindlessly stuffing your web content with keywords. Today’s AI-driven search engines focus more on understanding the user’s intent. They’re smart enough to read between the lines, understand the context and deliver results that best match the user’s needs.

    Personalization and predictive analysis — AI is taking personalization to a whole new level in SEO. By analyzing user behavior, AI can predict what a user is likely to search for next and serve them customized results. This level of personalization is a game-changer for small businesses looking to connect with their target audience.

    Machine learning and SEO — Machine Learning, a subset of AI, plays a pivotal role in SEO. Let’s delve into this fascinating world and see how it’s shaking things up. Machine Learning algorithms can study and learn from user behavior. This understanding allows search engines to deliver results that are more relevant and satisfying to individual users.

    AI and local SEO

    Local SEO is an incredibly critical aspect for small businesses. It’s all about ensuring that people in your local area can find you easily when they’re searching for services or products you provide. And guess what? AI is stepping up to the plate and making a real difference in this arena too.

    With the advent of AI, the rulebook for local SEO has been rewritten. With its ability to analyze massive amounts of data and discern patterns, AI is taking local SEO from a general shotgun approach to a highly focused sniper’s precision.

    In the realm of local search results, AI is not just making a splash; it’s creating waves of change. By honing its understanding of user intent and deciphering contextual nuances with increasing finesse, AI is taking the accuracy of local search results to new heights. This means that small businesses, from the corner bakery to the neighborhood bike repair shop, are more likely to find themselves in the spotlight of potential customers in their immediate vicinity.

    The new scribe in content creation

    It’s time to think beyond the confines of search engines. AI is not just revolutionizing the way these digital librarians work; it’s also transforming the art and science of content creation.

    AI tools are now stepping into the shoes of content creators, wielding the chisel and hammer to craft content that’s primed for search engines. These technological marvels save businesses a wealth of time and resources, handling the heavy lifting of content generation.

    But AI isn’t just creating content from scratch. It’s also stepping into the editing room, helping businesses fine-tune their existing content based on SEO best practices. With AI’s insightful suggestions for improvement, businesses can significantly enhance their visibility on search engines, like a beacon shining brighter on the digital horizon.

    Related: What’s Holding Back the Robot Revolution? We Humans.

    Data privacy: The elephant in the room

    As AI algorithms evolve, becoming more intricate and intelligent, the whispers of data privacy concerns are growing louder. In this era of heightened awareness about data privacy, businesses, especially small ones, need to tread carefully. They must ensure they’re wielding the power of AI responsibly, complying with all the relevant privacy laws, and respecting the sanctity of user data.

    Like any powerful tool, AI comes with the risk of overdependence. While AI can be a valuable ally in the SEO battlefield, businesses must remember that it’s not the silver bullet for all their SEO needs. The human touch – creativity, intuition and emotional intelligence — still holds immense value.

    Gajura Constantin

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  • Reliance on third-party technology providers requires robust risk management practices by banks: RBI DG Jain

    Reliance on third-party technology providers requires robust risk management practices by banks: RBI DG Jain

    Banks must carefully manage the adoption of new technologies and ensure adequate controls and safeguards to address potential vulnerabilities, according to Reserve Bank of India Deputy Governor MK Jain.

    Additionally, the reliance on third-party technology providers requires robust due diligence and risk management practices to mitigate the risks associated with outsourcing.

    “Banking is undergoing a significant technology revolution, driven by the emergence of fintech companies. This is pushing traditional banks to embrace digital transformation and become agile and innovative.

    “While technology brings numerous benefits, such as increased efficiency and improved customer experiences, it also presents varied risks,” Jain said at the 25th SEACEN-FSI Conference of the Directors of Supervision of Asia Pacific Economies in Mumbai. 

    Data privacy

    The Deputy Governor observed that closely linked to technology is the issue of data.

    “The banking industry, by the nature of its business, possesses a wealth of data that can be leveraged for various purposes. This data covers customer information, financial transactions, credit histories, and more.

    Also read: Underserved, marginalised populations more vulnerable to cyber risks: RBI Deputy Governor

    “While there are significant opportunities to derive value from this data, it is crucial to acknowledge and address the inherent risks associated with its handling, including those relating to data breaches and privacy concerns,” Jain said.

    The Deputy Governor emphasised that supervisors need to examine IT issues holistically.

    Future proofing

    “It is crucial to determine whether banks have the capacity to develop robust IT systems that align with their business strategies. Future-proofing banks’ IT infrastructure becomes imperative, necessitating strategic investments in both capital and operational expenditure.

    “As virtual work environments and cyber risks become more prevalent, effective IT governance takes on heightened sign,” he said.

    He underscored that data analytics empowers supervisors with the ability to extract valuable insights from vast amounts of data.

    This enables them to make data-driven decisions, identify risks, and take timely actions to safeguard financial stability.

    “By leveraging the power of data analytics, banking supervisors can considerably strengthen their supervisory frameworks,” Jain said.

    The Deputy Governor said as banks adopt new technologies, it is essential for supervisors to be equipped with the necessary knowledge, skills, and resources to effectively supervise and regulate these advancements.

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  • Either regulate Big Tech’s entry into finance now, or regret it later

    Either regulate Big Tech’s entry into finance now, or regret it later

    After the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, the public discourse has been brimming with hindsight advice on what regulators and lawmakers have missed. Yet nobody is talking about a major trend that is injecting future risk into the financial system: Big Tech’s entry into banking. Dangers are growing exponentially with the rise of decentralized finance (DeFi), but defining what tech titans should be allowed to do is tricky.

    Over the last years tech giants have been racing toward financial services. Apple, Alphabet (Google’s parent company), Amazon and Meta (Facebook’s parent company) have all leaped into the payments market. Some partner with licensed banks to offer credit, while Amazon has even entered the corporate lending business. In perhaps the most ambitious initiative yet, Facebook led a group of corporations that attempted to issue a global super-currency far away from the reach of central banks. And though it eventually failed, there are already new plans to run money in the metaverse.

    If you wonder how deep Big Tech can get into banking look to China. WeChat Pay and Alipay have long since dethroned credit card schemes and other incumbents. Alibaba’s interest-bearing micro-savings tool Yu’e Bao became the world’s largest money market fund in 2019. Tencent runs a licensed virtual bank together with traditional finance players. Examples abound.

    Most of these forays went hand in hand with crucial innovation such as mobile payments or the proliferation of open banking. They slashed costs for consumers, boosted financial inclusion and enhanced usability. Yet these advances are also fraught with dangers.

    Data privacy is a big one. Monopolistic tendencies are another. These are issues hotly debated by politicians across the globe, but what often goes unnoticed is the systemic risk Big Tech’s entry injects into the financial system.

    The International Monetary Fund, the Financial Stability Board and the Bank for International Settlements have all warned of the ensuing cross-sectoral, cross-border risks. Laws are not yet ready to let tech tycoons control the arteries of the global economy. And as the age of decentralized finance unfurls, the dangers are put under a magnifying glass.

    While projects such as Apple or Google Pay were confined to one layer, the triumphal march of blockchain technology and digital assets lets Big Tech compete on the level of assets, settlements, gateways and applications. Facebook’s aforementioned digital currency, called Libra, is a case in point. Had it been successful, Facebook would have had a say in the issuance of the asset, the blockchain on which settlement occurred and the wallet by which users manage their money.

    Digital assets are no isolated space anymore. Increasingly, real-life assets are merging with on-chain ones. This interconnectedness means that contagion can easily spread from the unregulated DeFi space to the traditional financial system.

    Tech titans are already at the brink of turning into shadow banks. And if they are honest about achieving their visions, say of building the metaverse, then they will inevitably have to put their weight behind DeFi as well.

    So how does all this trickle down to concrete policies? The first thing is to put competition on an equal footing, allowing technology giants, banks and fintechs to compete fairly in all areas of tomorrow’s world of finance. Laws cannot block one group from tinkering with crypto assets while giving another free rein. On- and off-chain assets will melt together, whether regulators like it or not. It is better to pen the rules early on than to sleepwalk into an inevitable future.

    Unfortunately, some lawmakers are sprinting in the opposite direction. Rather than bringing the increasing DeFi activity onto regulated turf, they want to bar banks from even touching digital assets, hence leaving it to unregulated entities including Big Tech. But there is more to do.

    Breaking up tech titans, as some politicians suggest, is not a viable option. Neither is banning them from financial services. Legislation such as the Keep Big Tech out of Finance Act would rob the banking sector of much-welcome innovation and competition. Yet while data giants are innovation powerhouses, they must not enjoy preferential treatment and they must not pile up risks unnoticed. The balancing act can only succeed if today’s approach of activity-based regulation yields to an entity-based one. It is not sufficient that tech titans must solely abide by isolated rules that govern, for example, payments or selling insurance. Due to their clout, tech goliaths must be designated as critical infrastructure providers and as such be regulated on the corporate level just like traditional banks, who have to abide by rules on capital requirements, corporate governance and reporting, as well as numerous restrictions on activities and exposures.

    Furthermore, entity-based regulation impacts a company’s risk calculation. If regulated entities break the rules, they face losing
    the license to operate, not simply fines. “We’re sorry and we’re working on a solution” should not be an acceptable answer for companies dealing with data security and most certainly not for those managing money. Hence, activity-based rules can only be a supplement, not a substitute, for regulating systemically important organizations.

    There will be those who argue that technology giants still make up a comparably small fraction of the financial system, yet we have seen that Big Tech is silent about its ambitions all the way up to a big bang announcement. Think Libra or Apple Pay. Due to their unparalleled consumer access, financial resources and technological know-how, these forays can upend a market overnight. And due to Big Tech’s nature of global and cross-industry operations this risk could spread through the world economy like a wildfire. Regulators and lawmakers would do well to act before another crisis ensues.

    Igor Pejic

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  • Meta faces record privacy fine for data transfers to the US

    Meta faces record privacy fine for data transfers to the US

    Meta is expected to face a record privacy fine on Monday when Ireland’s data protection watchdog confirms the social media platform mishandled people’s data when shipping it to the United States, according to two people with direct knowledge of the upcoming decision.

    POLITICO was not able to confirm the size of the record-setting penalty, which will likely be more than the €746 million fine that Amazon was forced to pay in 2021 for similarly flouting the European Union’s privacy standards, the people added, who spoke on condition of anonymity to speak about internal deliberations.

    Ireland’s Data Protection Commission will publish its ruling on Monday; it is also expected to include demands that Meta’s Facebook stop using complex legal instruments to move EU data to the U.S., called standard contract clauses, in the fall. 

    The upcoming decision dates back to revelations in 2013 from Edward Snowden, the former U.S. National Security Agency contractor, who disclosed that American authorities had repeatedly accessed people’s information via tech companies like Facebook and Google.

    Max Schrems, an Austrian privacy campaigner, filed a legal challenge against Facebook for failing to protect his privacy rights, setting off a decade-long battle over the legality of moving EU data to the U.S.

    Europe’s top court has repeatedly stated Washington does not have sufficient checks in place to protect Europeans’ personal information, and the U.S. recently updated its internal legal protections to give the EU greater assurances that American intelligence agencies will follow new rules governing such data access.

    Meta declined to comment. The Irish Data Protection Commission did not respond in time for publication.

    Mark Scott and Clothilde Goujard

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  • Ex-TikTok Employees Say Sensitive User Data Was Accessible | Entrepreneur

    Ex-TikTok Employees Say Sensitive User Data Was Accessible | Entrepreneur

    For “at least a year,” TikTok tracked and categorized users who watched gay content, information that could then be viewed by employees on a dashboard, former TikTok workers told The Wall Street Journal.

    The sources, some of whom had also worked for other companies in the tech industry, told the outlet that access to the dashboard was unusual when compared to other platforms.

    Data privacy has long been a controversial topic for the short-form video platform, and government agencies remain concerned over whether U.S. user data could end up in the hands of TikTok’s owner, Beijing-based ByteDance. However, the spokesperson added that no U.S. user data has been handed over to the Chinese government.

    Although the short-form video app does not ask users to disclose sexual orientation, TikTok categorizes individuals based on the videos they watch — prompting the platform to then recommend videos in the same realm of one’s viewing patterns.

    Related: Auburn University in Alabama Banned TikTok on School Wifi and University Devices

    According to the former employees, TikTok catalogs videos into “clusters,” with some named things like “white collar male,” “alt female,” and “mainstream female.” Within each cluster are subcategories. For example, “alt female” may include videos related to tattoos, lesbian content, and simply “Portland,” the former employees told WSJ.

    The former employees told the outlet that some workers felt that the data was safe to collect because viewing certain content doesn’t necessarily confirm aspects of one’s identity, while others believed the cataloging of users based on content consumed was enough to infer sensitive information about a user, especially regarding sexuality.

    Related: TikTok Will Pay $92M to Settle Lawsuit Over Personal Data ‘Theft’

    The cluster system was unsettling to some workers, and TikTok removed the names and replaced them with numbers in 2021. As for the dashboard, a spokesperson told the outlet that it was deleted a year ago, and user data was moved to the company’s U.S. unit, where a much smaller group of authorized employees can access it.

    Related: TikTok CEO Testifies in House Hearing: We Are Building ‘Firewall’ Around U.S. Data

    Entrepreneur has reached out to TikTok for comment.

    Madeline Garfinkle

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  • Cybersecurity researcher finds 1 million invoices in public, unencrypted database

    Cybersecurity researcher finds 1 million invoices in public, unencrypted database

    A cybersecurity researcher says he discovered a public, unencrypted database earlier this year associated with a business banking fintech that contained more than 1 million names, physical addresses and phone numbers of consumers and business owners who used a certain invoice-creator app.

    The database is said to have been secured in January, and where the fault for any vulnerability lies is murky. But the incident highlights the widespread problem of unprotected online databases — which sometimes are linked with seemingly innocuous, free apps — that present risk management challenges for players from digital startups to large banks.

    The security researcher, Jeremiah Fowler, announced the disclosure Wednesday and said the database belonged to NorthOne, a Toronto-based fintech offering mobile-first banking to small businesses, because the invoices he found in the database say “powered by NorthOne.”

    NorthOne CEO Eytan Bensoussan told American Banker that, despite appearances, the vulnerability actually stems from an app called InvoiceMaker that is not connected to NorthOne. He acknowledged that some of the people who helped build the app now work for NorthOne and that the company marketed itself with the app, but the app has “no product, technology or corporate connection” to his fintech.

    “NorthOne is a completely separate entity from InvoiceMaker,” Bensoussan said.

    Yet NorthOne launched a free invoice creation tool in 2018, according to multiple news reports. The app, which prominently featured NorthOne’s old logo and branding, used both the names Invoice Maker and Free Invoice. As of June 2022, the app had 4,900 ratings on the Apple app store.

    Invoices in the database, which was not password-protected, included names, physical addresses, email addresses, phone numbers and details about the services provided.

    Jeremiah Fowler

    Despite the invoice app using NorthOne’s old logo, “there is no crossover between databases,” Bensoussan said in an email. In explaining why NorthOne’s old logo appeared in the app, he said NorthOne once “leveraged Invoice Maker for awareness purposes, but as you can see from the outdated logo, that was a long time ago.”

    Bensoussan said his team terminated the invoice creation service after Fowler told them about the vulnerability in January, and NorthOne’s invoice creation app is no longer available on the app store. Fowler said the database he found is also now secured, thanks to his disclosure.

    In his comments, Bensoussan played down the importance of the vulnerability, saying the invoicing app had “no payment capabilities and did not involve any payment data.” Rather, the app was “a free PDF generator for invoices,” he said, adding it had “as many as 20,000 users at its most popular but was due to be sunsetted later this year because it had run its course.”

    Security researcher Brett Callow said he could not comment on the specifics of this invoice data vulnerability but noted that it is often difficult to determine the significance of exposed databases. Often, it is not necessarily clear even to the company that manages the data whether anybody other than the researcher who discovered it accessed the data, he said.

    northone1-850x638.jpg
    Invoices found in the database also feature NorthOne branding. The fintech’s CEO maintains the company affected a now-defunct invoice creation tool, not NorthOne.

    Jeremiam Fowler

    “Still, even if it was only a researcher who accessed a database, that means an unauthorized third party had access to information — and that’s a data breach,” Callow said.

    Ali Allage, CEO at Bluesteel Cybersecurity, offered a different take, saying a data breach occurs when data is taken without the knowledge or authorization of the system’s owner. That does not appear to be the case here, she said, for which NorthOne should consider itself lucky.

    “This organization got extremely lucky that this didn’t snowball into something worse and having to deal with much larger consequences,” Allage said.

    Bensoussan said “no breach or leak occurred,” adding “we have confirmed no data was ever compromised or made public.”

    As of Friday, no state attorneys general had reported any data breaches from NorthOne, Free Invoice or Invoice Maker, suggesting the responsible party has not reported the breach pursuant to any of the state laws governing data breach disclosures.

    According to Fowler, his interaction with Bensoussan — an email in which the CEO let the researcher know the vulnerability had been taken care of — provided no indication that he had misidentified the responsible party. Had he messaged the wrong company saying he found their exposed database, “they would have been very eager to tell me that it does not belong to them,” he said.

    Bensoussan said he is “thankful that the issue has been addressed” and said Fowler called his team’s attention to the vulnerability before it escalated into a breach.

    “In this case, the system worked as intended with a security researcher helping to address a problem before it became an issue,” Bensoussan said. 

    Invoices are a “goldmine for criminals,” according to Fowler, because they can target victims using both the contact information they glean from the documents and the details of private transactions.

    “The criminal could reference the real invoice number and transaction details, making it difficult for the victim to doubt the scammer’s legitimacy as a representative of the company or service provider,” Fowler said.

    The database was so easy enough to find, Fowler said, that it would have required little expertise for a criminal to get to it — and no password to decrypt the files once found.

    Fowler monitors multiple IoT search engines to find the data, including the exposed database of invoices. IoT search engines scour the web for internet-connected devices like webcams and smart home appliances. Shodan is a popular example; others include Censys, GreyNoise and ZoomEye.

    According to Fowler, the incident is an example of why companies need to establish good processes for and relationships with security researchers, since the analysts work to protect data and plug security vulnerabilities. In many cases, including this one, they do so free of charge.

    “The biggest thing is that companies need to take that extra step and realize that, if you collect data, it’s valuable to somebody other than you,” Fowler said.

    Carter Pape

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  • What the Downfall of Web Cookies Means for Advertising

    What the Downfall of Web Cookies Means for Advertising

    Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

    With initiatives to prioritize consumer privacy by companies like Apple, app trackers and third-party cookies are disappearing, which is impacting the efficiency of traditional methods for performance advertising.

    How does paying 25% more to reach the same audience this coming year sound? While nobody wants to spend more to get less or the same, that is going to be the reality for 44% of marketers, according to GetApp.

    Perhaps this increased cost is a fact that you have accepted already. Maybe you’re not ready to make drastic changes to your advertising approach, or your company has decided to reduce its advertising budget. But what if you have to spend 50% or more for the same audience the following year? At what point will the pain become too much that you are forced to make a complete baseline paradigm shift? What’s really at risk here?

    Related: Data in 4 Flavors, and the Demise of the Cookie

    The downfall of the cookie

    That we are forced to pay more with less quality of tracking and measurement really shouldn’t come as a surprise. The whole space has been the Wild West for so long, and third-party tracking has made it easy to find our target audience — something had to give.

    In advertising, we’ve had easy access to audiences. If someone looks at Perrier on one website and then sparkling water on another, cookies tell us they are in the market for beverages. However, for consumers, the disconcerting experience of talking about cats with your phone nearby and then being presented with cat food ads on Facebook seems to have crossed a line: it’s just plain creepy. In fact, 69% of people are concerned with how their data is collected.

    We are still in the Wild West. Even though the EU adopted the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), privacy experts question its robustness. In the U.S. — where a U.S. version of GDPR hasn’t been passed by Congress — companies are basically only required to display pop-ups that prompt users to accept all cookies or not and 76% of people choose to ignore it. Who’s really going into the advanced cookie settings and carefully selecting 36 different tracking options on every website they visit?

    What’s most at-risk is discovering who our audience is, what they are interested in and where they are hanging out so we know where to serve them best. If we play our cards right, it could be a win-win situation instead: Customers could be served ads they are actually interested in (and in the medium they prefer) while advertisers can become more efficient and stop wasting money serving ads to people who aren’t interested.

    This becomes a question of data: Who’s got the best first-party data, and how do we make the most of it?

    Powerful data, served up fresh (and safe)

    Fortunately for us, we don’t have to reinvent the wheel; the framework for obtaining and leveraging powerful data is out there already; we just need to use it. Things like retail media and first-party shopper data aren’t typical media investments for marketers and can be overlooked easily, but regardless of whether you sell a physical product in the retail space, retail media platforms have incredible tools to activate for your brand.

    Retail media data is better because it provides a clearer picture of who is actually in the market. Just think of what all that single sign-in user information from Amazon can provide — everything a customer buys; the movies they watch; all the items they spend time looking at across all the web properties Amazon owns like IMDB or DPreview — the list goes on.

    Let’s dig deeper and consider all of the companies that Amazon owns, like MGM Studios. Amazon is buying bits and pieces of what are powerful touchpoints to identify customer interest, age and preferences to create a comprehensive view of the audience.

    Now, when I skip past all the horror films to watch my favorite new comedy, Amazon knows what I like. When I binge a new Podcast on Wonderly, it gives insights into what captivates me. Combine that with Amazon’s ownership of other publications like Twitch — the top game-streaming platform in the U.S. — Alexa devices and Whole Foods, and not only does Amazon have the data but it also has the avenues to communicate with audiences.

    In contrast with the creepy social media ads that seem to know a little too much, most first-party data is brand-safe. For instance, Amazon has spent the last 20 years becoming one of America’s most trusted companies, and it wouldn’t risk that by tinkering with data in an unscrupulous way. Thus, leveraging this type of information allows us to identify audiences in a way that is safe for our brands, all while being comprehensive and giving us access to premium advertising inventory.

    Related: How Marketers Can Prepare for the Removal of Third-Party Cookies

    A no-brainer

    As we adapt to the changing tides of the digital advertising landscape, a new way is necessary — and the solution really isn’t complicated. While 81% of companies still are dependent on the sinking ship of third-party cookies, we can use our own first-party data combined with retailer data through Amazon Marketing Cloud to create a powerful picture of our consumers and serve them ads where they congregate.

    This goes beyond simple awareness advertising — which doesn’t have many useful metrics (in the prehistoric days of TV and radio, it was really just general demographic data from surveys) — by tying that awareness to a specific event. With a clickable icon or a QR code in a StreamingTV, we now have traffic to the landing page and information about how people interacted with it — a constant feed of measurable and trackable consumer behavior.

    And we can do all this, from discovering our audience and shopper behavior to ad platforms and measurement, while getting the most out of our advertising dollars and respecting our customers’ privacy.

    Take that, cookies.

    Joshua Kreitzer

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  • Drizly agrees to tighten data security after alleged breach

    Drizly agrees to tighten data security after alleged breach

    WASHINGTON — Alcohol delivery app Drizly has agreed to tighten its data security and limit data collection to resolve federal regulators’ allegations that its security failures exposed the personal information of some 2.5 million customers.

    The Federal Trade Commission announced the action Monday against Drizly, a Boston-based subsidiary of Uber that delivers beer, wine and spirits in states where it’s legal, and partners with retailers in hundreds of cities around the US. The proposed consent agreement with the FTC also names Drizly CEO James Cory Rellas. The regulators allege that the company and Rellas were alerted to security problems two years before the 2020 breach yet failed to act to protect consumers’ data.

    Drizly agreed to put in a comprehensive data security program and establish security safeguards, and to limit future data collection or storage to that which is necessary for specific purposes. It will also destroy unnecessary data.

    “Our proposed order against Drizly not only restricts what the company can retain and collect going forward but also ensures the CEO faces consequences for the company’s carelessness,” Samuel Levine, director of the FTC’s bureau of consumer protection, said in a statement. “CEOs who take shortcuts on security should take note.”

    Drizly collects and stores on Amazon Web Services cloud-computing service a wide range of personal data from customers such as email and postal addresses, phone numbers, geolocation information and data purchased from third parties, according to the FTC.

    “We take consumer privacy and security very seriously at Drizly, and are happy to put this 2020 event behind us,” the company said in a statement.

    The proposed consent agreement will be opened to public comment for 30 days, after which the FTC will decide whether to make it final.

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  • The ‘data divide’ is a new form of injustice. Ending it could help us meet humanity’s greatest challenges

    The ‘data divide’ is a new form of injustice. Ending it could help us meet humanity’s greatest challenges

    Just as the digital divide kept millions of people from accessing the advantages of the Internet a generation ago, there is a new “data divide” separating the haves from the have-nots.

    The “haves” include people, companies, and organizations who have plenty of fresh data and have the technology and skills to use it to grow and thrive, while the “have-nots” are those who are operating with limited or no indication of what is effective and whose economic growth or social advancement is stunted as a result.

    Businesses need to prioritize investment in data not just to drive revenue, but also to close the data divide–an essential step to solve social and environmental issues and boost the overall health of our society and economy.

    Defining the divide

    The data divide is about more than just access to data–it’s the growing disparity between the expanding use of data to create commercial value and the comparatively weak use of data to solve social and environmental challenges.

    This is a clear and present problem. According to IDC, the spending on big data and analytics solutions exceeded $215 billion in 2021, with a third of that spending coming from just three sectors: banking, discrete manufacturing, and professional services. More than half of the spending came from just one country: the U.S.

    Meanwhile, nonprofits lack access to data, technology, and skills. For instance, according to IBM, 67% of nonprofits lack expertise in the use of data analytics for their work.

    In the public sector, some government agencies, like the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Census Bureau, have implemented strong data strategies to drive greater impact. But most government organizations worldwide are facing enormous challenges in leveraging their data to deliver services effectively and efficiently. Major problems that could benefit from data analysis–such as climate change, health equity, and quality education–may not get the attention and skills they need.

    How to close the gap

    All sectors must mobilize to invest in bridging this divide. Organizations that play a role in the data ecosystem, or that are leaders in using data already, can help create accessible, transformational solutions by sharing tools, talent, and financial resources to make data skills more widely available to nonprofits. This can also include donating software licenses, training, and support to nonprofit organizations and educational institutions around the globe to foster data literacy and action.

    Leadership can also come from the public sector. For example, the UN Global Pulse – Data for Climate Action is an unprecedented open innovation challenge to harness data science and big data from the private sector to fight climate change. This challenge aims to leverage private big data to identify revolutionary new approaches to climate mitigation and adaptation.

    Closing the gap is not only about solving global crises–but data can also help tackle local problems. For instance, Operation Clean Sweep in Buffalo, NY used 311 call data to bring citizens closer together. It started by connecting residents with critical health and human services. During neighborhood visits, corps members also conduct cleanups, seal vacant homes, remove graffiti, and fill potholes–and the city uses data to determine which neighborhoods are most in need of services.

    The data divide may not feel like an urgent problem to many, but it underlies some of the world’s most pressing problems. With so many global crises already unfolding, we need problem solvers from all sectors to harness the power of data for positive social and environmental impact. If we do not act decisively and with urgency, the have-nots will fall further and further behind–and all of us will feel the effects.

    If we act now, we can empower individuals and organizations around the world to use data to solve a wide range of problems, from skill gaps to climate change. We might even get a few potholes fixed, too.

    Kriss Deiglmeier is Splunk‘s Chief Social Impact Officer.

    The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Fortune.

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    Kriss Deiglmeier

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  • George Gervin Partners With IPrivata and the HBAR Foundation to Launch the I OWN ME™ Campaign to Protect Athletes’ Data and Digital Rights

    George Gervin Partners With IPrivata and the HBAR Foundation to Launch the I OWN ME™ Campaign to Protect Athletes’ Data and Digital Rights

    I OWN ME campaign will raise awareness of the growing value of an athlete’s digital identity and data and educate athletes on how to assert legal title and rights to their digital assets using IPrivata’s patented solution.

    Press Release
    –

    Sep 22, 2022


    BOSTON, September 22, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Known as the “Iceman” and for his signature finger roll, George Gervin won four NBA scoring titles (third all-time) and was recently recognized on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. As he launches a new apparel line, book, and upcoming documentary, he is proud to partner with IPrivata and the HBAR Foundation to record, authenticate and enforce his legal title and rights to his data and digital assets.

    IPrivata’s patented platform gives individuals legal title and rights to their data. When individuals assert “I Own Me” in a Declaration CertificateTM and a Community of TrustTM it links the rights embedded in the patent to the individual’s data. This establishes a root proof of authenticity and transforms the enforcement framework for data from privacy to well-established legal frameworks leveraging property rights, IP, and contract law.

    In the new era of NIL, IPrivata and its I OWN ME campaign provides the only way for athletes to protect and monetize their personal brands and content. The HBAR Foundation and the distributed ledger technology developer, Acoer, are working closely with IPrivata to integrate the Declaration Certificate within the Hedera ecosystem, providing legal title to an individual’s digital identity on the world’s greenest, most-used distributed ledger.

    “I’m proud to partner with IPrivata and claim, ‘I Own Me’ to raise awareness and educate the next generation of athletes in their professional pursuits,” George Gervin commented. “I worked hard throughout my career to win games and make a name for myself. Since I left the NBA, I’ve devoted my time to educating the youth and giving back to the community. With social media and all the new opportunities and challenges young athletes face today with NIL, it’s important people know IPrivata is here to help.”

    “George is a basketball icon and an original ‘influencer’ in his community,” said Scott Yeager, Chief Strategy Officer of IPrivata. “He’s made an impact with athletes and youth through his charter schools and charity work. George is a leader, and declaring, ‘I Own Me’ will spread the word that young athletes shouldn’t just give their name and content away to the internet. It’s important for athletes to protect their personal data and NIL.”

    “Two of the biggest challenges with data ownership are the uncertainty around data rights and the lack of a proactive enforcement framework,” said Shayne Higdon, CEO of the HBAR Foundation. “IOWN.ME, built on the Hedera platform provides an effective and repeatable mechanism for monitoring data rights.”

    George Gervin and the I Own Me campaign is a collaboration between Reprivata, IPrivata, Fox Ellis Sports (Twitter/Instagram: @foxellisagency) and Unique Sports Management (Twitter/Instagram: @uniquesportsmgmt).

    Source: IPrivata

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