Question
Which of the following pieces of information would you consider to be “private” or “personal”, as in you wouldn’t want it shared with just anyone. Put an “X” next to each item you wouldn’t want shared.
___ your full name
___ your social security number
___ your favorite musician or band
___ a picture of your face
___ your fingerprint
___ your birthday
___ your address
___ where you go after school
___ your phone number
___ your medical history
___ your racial / ethnic identity
___ a list of your best friends
___ a list of everything you’ve bought this month
___ a recording of your voice
___ your IP address
___ a video of you singing a song
___ your academic history / report card
___ the town or city you live in
Choose a Website and Find the Data Privacy Policy:
The choices will be on the board. Your group will pick one of the choices and you will all work together (google doc) to research the company. (No other group can pick the same company you choose.)
The easiest way to find a data policy, if it exists, is to search for the company name followed by the terms “data policy” or “privacy policy.”
Put your choice here: X
What Is Their Data Policy?
Respond to the questions below. Even if you can’t find information, you should record where you looked and the fact that you can’t find it. If there isn’t a policy or it’s hard to find, that can be just as interesting as seeing the policy itself.
Question 1: What kinds of data is collected? (Be very thorough)
Question 2: How is the data you listed above being used? What features are enabled by the data?
Question 3: Does the company share the data with anyone else? Who?
Question 4: Can you get access to your own data? Can you modify what is collected, or delete your data if you wish?
Privacy vs. Security Tradeoffs
Pros
(benefits of using the company / app or website)
Cons
Concerns about the security / privacy policy
Question 5: Do you believe the benefits of the company / website or app you researched outweigh the privacy concerns?
Using the pros & cons above explain why or why not making explicit connections to responses 1-4 above.
Question 6
● 1 - Totally Comfortable "Have my data! It makes the technology I love work and keeps me safe!”
● 2 - Mostly Comfortable "I want tech innovations and stronger security. Let's make sure we take care of the most damaging privacy concerns."
● 3 - Mixed "There's a lot of this that makes me uncomfortable, but I'm still going to use technology."
● 4 - Mostly Uncomfortable "Privacy is more important than empowering innovations or ensuring security. I would give up on some tech innovations to ensure my privacy"
● 5 - Totally Uncomfortable "I'd give up most technology and would like to see much stronger limits on what kind of data can be collected and stored, even if it limits the introduction of new technology"
Which of the above categories best describes your overall comfort with using data to drive innovations or ensure security? Write a paragraph below explaining your response and tying it to the information in this activity guide. (In other words, justify your response to questions 6).
___ your full name
___ your social security number
___ your favorite musician or band
___ a picture of your face
___ your fingerprint
___ your birthday
___ your address
___ where you go after school
___ your phone number
___ your medical history
___ your racial / ethnic identity
___ a list of your best friends
___ a list of everything you’ve bought this month
___ a recording of your voice
___ your IP address
___ a video of you singing a song
___ your academic history / report card
___ the town or city you live in
Choose a Website and Find the Data Privacy Policy:
The choices will be on the board. Your group will pick one of the choices and you will all work together (google doc) to research the company. (No other group can pick the same company you choose.)
The easiest way to find a data policy, if it exists, is to search for the company name followed by the terms “data policy” or “privacy policy.”
Put your choice here: X
What Is Their Data Policy?
Respond to the questions below. Even if you can’t find information, you should record where you looked and the fact that you can’t find it. If there isn’t a policy or it’s hard to find, that can be just as interesting as seeing the policy itself.
Question 1: What kinds of data is collected? (Be very thorough)
Question 2: How is the data you listed above being used? What features are enabled by the data?
Question 3: Does the company share the data with anyone else? Who?
Question 4: Can you get access to your own data? Can you modify what is collected, or delete your data if you wish?
Privacy vs. Security Tradeoffs
Pros
(benefits of using the company / app or website)
Cons
Concerns about the security / privacy policy
Question 5: Do you believe the benefits of the company / website or app you researched outweigh the privacy concerns?
Using the pros & cons above explain why or why not making explicit connections to responses 1-4 above.
Question 6
● 1 - Totally Comfortable "Have my data! It makes the technology I love work and keeps me safe!”
● 2 - Mostly Comfortable "I want tech innovations and stronger security. Let's make sure we take care of the most damaging privacy concerns."
● 3 - Mixed "There's a lot of this that makes me uncomfortable, but I'm still going to use technology."
● 4 - Mostly Uncomfortable "Privacy is more important than empowering innovations or ensuring security. I would give up on some tech innovations to ensure my privacy"
● 5 - Totally Uncomfortable "I'd give up most technology and would like to see much stronger limits on what kind of data can be collected and stored, even if it limits the introduction of new technology"
Which of the above categories best describes your overall comfort with using data to drive innovations or ensure security? Write a paragraph below explaining your response and tying it to the information in this activity guide. (In other words, justify your response to questions 6).
Answers
GPT-4o mini
### Personal Information Privacy Checklist
| Item | Status |
|----------------------------------------------|--------|
| your full name | X |
| your social security number | X |
| your favorite musician or band | |
| a picture of your face | X |
| your fingerprint | X |
| your birthday | X |
| your address | X |
| where you go after school | X |
| your phone number | X |
| your medical history | X |
| your racial / ethnic identity | X |
| a list of your best friends | |
| a list of everything you’ve bought this month| |
| a recording of your voice | X |
| your IP address | X |
| a video of you singing a song | X |
| your academic history / report card | X |
| the town or city you live in | X |
### Company Selection
**Put your choice here:** Google
### What Is Their Data Policy?
**Question 1: What kinds of data is collected?**
Google collects a wide range of data, including but not limited to:
- Personal Information: Name, email address, phone number, and payment information.
- Location Data: GPS data from mobile devices, local search history.
- Search Queries: Everything you search for using Google search engine.
- Usage Data: Information about how users interact with Google products, including time spent on apps, clicks, and interactions.
- Cookies and Tracking: Information from web cookies, including IP addresses, browsing history, and preferences.
**Question 2: How is the data you listed above being used?**
Google uses the collected data for various purposes including:
- Personalization: Tailoring search results, ads, and content recommendations based on user preferences and behavior.
- Improved Services: Using anonymized data to enhance product features, develop new services, and conduct research.
- Advertising: Targeting users with specific ads based on their search history and online behavior, which can increase advertising effectiveness.
**Question 3: Does the company share the data with anyone else? Who?**
Yes, Google shares data with:
- Third-party advertisers and partners for targeted advertising.
- Law enforcement when required by law.
- Other Google-affiliated services to enhance user experience and service integration.
**Question 4: Can you get access to your own data? Can you modify what is collected, or delete your data if you wish?**
Yes, users can access their own data through Google’s "My Account” section. Users can view and download their data, modify privacy settings to control what is collected, and delete certain aspects of their data.
### Privacy vs. Security Tradeoffs
**Pros (benefits of using the company / app or website)**
- Access to a variety of tools and services (Gmail, Google Maps, etc.) that enhance daily life.
- Improved user experience through personalization.
- Effective search and organization capabilities.
**Cons (Concerns about the security / privacy policy)**
- Extensive data collection can lead to privacy invasion.
- Potential for data misuse or data breaches.
- Concerns about targeted advertising and manipulation based on personal data.
### Question 5: Do you believe the benefits of the company / website or app you researched outweigh the privacy concerns?
While Google provides numerous benefits and functionalities that enhance everyday tasks and make our lives easier, these come at the cost of substantial data collection and potential privacy invasions. From Question 1, we see that a vast array of personal data is collected, which poses significant privacy risks. Additionally, using this data for advertising as mentioned in Question 2 raises ethical concerns about manipulation and consent. Google does provide transparency and control over personal data (Question 4), but the sheer amount of data it collects remains alarming. In this case, while the benefits are undeniably appealing, the potential for misuse and privacy invasion causes me to conclude that the concerns may outweigh the advantages.
### Question 6: Overall Comfort
**Rating:** 3 - Mixed.
While I appreciate the advancements and convenience that technology like Google's services provides, the extent of personal data collected and the potential for it to be misused leaves me feeling uneasy. I believe that companies should prioritize user privacy and give even more transparent options for data control. Thus, while I will continue to use these technologies, I remain apprehensive about my personal data security. I find it crucial to advocate for stronger privacy measures.
| Item | Status |
|----------------------------------------------|--------|
| your full name | X |
| your social security number | X |
| your favorite musician or band | |
| a picture of your face | X |
| your fingerprint | X |
| your birthday | X |
| your address | X |
| where you go after school | X |
| your phone number | X |
| your medical history | X |
| your racial / ethnic identity | X |
| a list of your best friends | |
| a list of everything you’ve bought this month| |
| a recording of your voice | X |
| your IP address | X |
| a video of you singing a song | X |
| your academic history / report card | X |
| the town or city you live in | X |
### Company Selection
**Put your choice here:** Google
### What Is Their Data Policy?
**Question 1: What kinds of data is collected?**
Google collects a wide range of data, including but not limited to:
- Personal Information: Name, email address, phone number, and payment information.
- Location Data: GPS data from mobile devices, local search history.
- Search Queries: Everything you search for using Google search engine.
- Usage Data: Information about how users interact with Google products, including time spent on apps, clicks, and interactions.
- Cookies and Tracking: Information from web cookies, including IP addresses, browsing history, and preferences.
**Question 2: How is the data you listed above being used?**
Google uses the collected data for various purposes including:
- Personalization: Tailoring search results, ads, and content recommendations based on user preferences and behavior.
- Improved Services: Using anonymized data to enhance product features, develop new services, and conduct research.
- Advertising: Targeting users with specific ads based on their search history and online behavior, which can increase advertising effectiveness.
**Question 3: Does the company share the data with anyone else? Who?**
Yes, Google shares data with:
- Third-party advertisers and partners for targeted advertising.
- Law enforcement when required by law.
- Other Google-affiliated services to enhance user experience and service integration.
**Question 4: Can you get access to your own data? Can you modify what is collected, or delete your data if you wish?**
Yes, users can access their own data through Google’s "My Account” section. Users can view and download their data, modify privacy settings to control what is collected, and delete certain aspects of their data.
### Privacy vs. Security Tradeoffs
**Pros (benefits of using the company / app or website)**
- Access to a variety of tools and services (Gmail, Google Maps, etc.) that enhance daily life.
- Improved user experience through personalization.
- Effective search and organization capabilities.
**Cons (Concerns about the security / privacy policy)**
- Extensive data collection can lead to privacy invasion.
- Potential for data misuse or data breaches.
- Concerns about targeted advertising and manipulation based on personal data.
### Question 5: Do you believe the benefits of the company / website or app you researched outweigh the privacy concerns?
While Google provides numerous benefits and functionalities that enhance everyday tasks and make our lives easier, these come at the cost of substantial data collection and potential privacy invasions. From Question 1, we see that a vast array of personal data is collected, which poses significant privacy risks. Additionally, using this data for advertising as mentioned in Question 2 raises ethical concerns about manipulation and consent. Google does provide transparency and control over personal data (Question 4), but the sheer amount of data it collects remains alarming. In this case, while the benefits are undeniably appealing, the potential for misuse and privacy invasion causes me to conclude that the concerns may outweigh the advantages.
### Question 6: Overall Comfort
**Rating:** 3 - Mixed.
While I appreciate the advancements and convenience that technology like Google's services provides, the extent of personal data collected and the potential for it to be misused leaves me feeling uneasy. I believe that companies should prioritize user privacy and give even more transparent options for data control. Thus, while I will continue to use these technologies, I remain apprehensive about my personal data security. I find it crucial to advocate for stronger privacy measures.