The 21st century has been characterized by a myriad of changes and wars. Barely 20 years into it, almost everything has changed. Business has risen and fallen in different measures. China has become an export superpower, while USA and Russia are killing each at the top of data mining and extraction.
Elections, takeovers and governments are now run through servers and keyboards, before seating at the board. There is now an almost equal investment in information and data security with research and development. The writings on the wall are that it is not just cool to have a revolutionizing idea, having a tight safe for it is paramount.
Trade a decade or two ago was characterized by products and hard currency. In the time we are living, the greatest business is nothing close to physical. Cryptocurrency has replaced both hard and soft currency. Information trading is big business. This is happening even when you do not think you are.
The last Uber ride you made, did you even know the driver? You trusted somebody you didn’t know, a car you have never seen, and even trusted them with your details after your trip. This is because you have trusted a company whose employees other than that driver you will never meet, to have your personal details for your locomotion. You don’t even know their directors or anyone, let alone know what they do with your information.
25th May 2018 was a significant date on what the data the companies collect could do with the information you willingly or unknowingly helped them acquire. Though this information was so publicly hyped, very few of us went into the details of what this General Data Protection Regulation actually means. Most of the users actually do not read the term of use. A friend says there is no need to waste their time as they will eventually sign and accept whether or not they read. The reality is, even before that application or website you were still living. Meaning death will not come today because you did not accept a certain term of use.
It was just the other day when the FaceApp’s terms of use for the images and information you voluntarily gave them, was and is that they use have a perpetual, irrevocable right to use that information for their benefit now and in future anywhere in the world without compensation. It looks and feels okay until two years from now your information is up on a billboard or an equivalent, with a past you wish to forget. A redress legal or otherwise is not helpful as your digital signature is pulled out.
When you look deeply, this is just a war about to begin. Previously whoever had the best machinery and tactics won. Now whoever has the information and data will win.