A Penny for Your Thoughts, But This is the Price (and Value) of Your Data

Someone recently filed an unemployment claim in my name. 

In fact, they filed several unemployment claims in my name. 

I know I’m not alone. 

The funny thing is, I haven’t had a “job” since 2006. However, we’ve seen the use of data for criminal activity significantly increase throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, This is mostly due to the multiple shutdowns and a distributed workforce.

More than ever, scammers are attempting to steal personal data and use it to commit identity theft. Depending on where you fall politically you may believe that the use of personal data is also used to manipulate voters. At the very least, your data is used to get you to buy things you wouldn’t normally buy. 

Now, guess what the cost of your data from legitimate data aggregators is. Do you think it’s $1,000? $100? Is it $1.00? No.

It’s about $00.09.

Yeah, you read that right.  

Meaning that for less than a dime the information about what you buy, listen to, view or click on, and quite literally hundreds of other data points, can be purchased legally.

If this is news to you, we can lament the fact our data is so accessible and downright inexpensive but ultimately, we can’t change that. What we can do is look at the value of using data and technology to make a positive change in the world around us.

This summer I was talking with a group of young adults about their views on criminal justice and the concerns and frustrations they carried.  My advice to them? Sharing a meme, marching in a protest or voting for your candidate is great, but if you really want to impact change, go become an attorney or a police officer and make a change from the inside.

A few years ago, the team at Futurety saw the data train coming in full force. We decided we had two options, 1) let others shape the industry, maybe without the moral and ethical codes we support or 2) become part of the industry and do our part to shape it in a way that benefits, rather than harms, others. 

You can guess which way we went.

Ultimately, we decided on a company mission stating “data can solve the world's biggest challenges”. For example, we think data can help a hospital identify at risk populations, improve treatment plans and medication adherence, and improve patient engagement and health outcomes.

We think data can be used to increase the use of public transit by identifying where people travel, why they travel, what type of transportation they can afford, and then serving up those options at the moment they want to travel. 

We can use data to track the spread, treatment and containment of COVID and route care, resources, vaccines and education in the areas most in need.

We can combat homelessness, poverty, drug addicitionand infant mortality by using data, building models and communicating with the right audience, at the right time with the right message.

As a society, we embrace the role of data and technology to help us get our Amazon order in a matter of hours, find our next bingable show or podcast, and read social media posts that reinforce our beliefs. 

By working to ensure the ethical and honest use of data and embracing the role of data and technology to solve real problems, we can all be a part of the solution.