What Does Personal Data Mean to You?


Occasional guest posts from a regular guy trying to understand why everyone wants his personal data and what he can do about it.

Here’s a basic question: what is personal data? I think I have a pretty good handle on it – but then again, I work with Personal. To find out what regular people think, I asked my friends and family what personal data means to them.

My friends and family aren’t wrong about personal data – in fact, if you’d asked me to define the phrase a few months ago, I probably would have answered like they did.

But as I’ve explored the topic, I’ve learned that personal data goes much deeper than account information and logins. It also includes your musical tastes, what brand of jeans you’re most likely to buy, where your family is planning to vacation, and even your dog’s dietary preferences. This data flood was the subject of my previous, liquid-based video.

But personal data is also the sum total of all these individual data points. Once you put enough pixels together, you can get a pretty good picture of who you are and what you might do. That’s why your personal data is so valuable. It’s not just a few account numbers. It’s your whole life.

NEXT TIME: Even if you only think of personal data as just private information like passwords and bank accounts, you’d still want to keep those details secure and organized, right? You might be surprised how some of my friends and family store their data. Or you might find it all too familiar…

(To share this video, use this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxfYnQyqgzA)

By James Kotecki in Power Shift

September 19, 2011

Your Personal Data is Leaking


Occasional guest posts from a regular guy trying to understand why everyone wants his personal data and exploring how to control it.

When Personal asked me to write about personal data and privacy issues from a consumer’s perspective, I knew very little about online privacy. So I started reading up on the issue and talking to the Personal team. And wow – things are pretty scary out there. The news about corporate data abuse and criminal data malfeasance seems almost overwhelming.

But I wondered: if I didn’t know about all the companies that have laid claim to my personal data, how much do other people understand what’s going on?

In order to illustrate the problem of personal data and how companies use it, I turned to the medium I know best – YouTube. I made this video using a plastic bag, some cups, a nail, and a popular sports drink.

That’s the problem with personal data in a nutshell (or in a plastic bag – I’m trying to stick to just one metaphor here). You and I are giving away our data and privacy every day, drop by drop.

(To share this video, here’s a handy link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9k1ekOSCeY)

By James Kotecki in Power Shift

September 7, 2011

My Mission: Explore the Wide World of Data


Occasional guest posts from a regular guy trying to control his personal data.James Kotecki

Hi! I’m James Kotecki, a writer and video blogger who’s passionate about technology. Personal has invited me to guest blog here with an everyman’s perspective on personal data and online privacy. Let me start with a confession: before I met the folks at Personal, I didn’t think too much about those issues.

Sure, I’ve read about data breaches at massive storage facilities that house customer data, and I think it’s creepy that Facebook ads target my relationship status (see Rule 8(c) of Facebook’s own policies).  But I figured I had to give up my personal data in exchange 21st century conveniences.

Maybe that’s why I never treated my own data with much respect, relegating accounts and passwords to various Word documents spread out across my hard drive, and leaving digital records of myself everywhere I go on the web. I’ve long accepted that many companies have a better handle on my data than I do. I just never knew there was anything I could do about it.

But my friends at Personal put it this way: if corporations are cataloguing and profiting from your data, shouldn’t you be able to do that too?

After all, my personal data isn’t just a set of abstract numbers – it represents the foods I eat, the places I’ve lived, the movies I like, the people I know, and even my plans for the future.

In a very real sense, my data is me. Shouldn’t I decide how it’s used? (Spoiler alert: yes.)

So now I’m on a mission. Through occasional written and video posts, I’m going to explore who’s got my data, how they’re using it, and how I can take back control.

Hmmm . . . I wonder how I’ll do that…

By James Kotecki in Power Shift

August 17, 2011