In our always-on culture we are constantly tethered to our digital devices and we leave behind a digital trail each time we are online. Whether it is what we are looking at online, which bridges we drive over, where we are when we make a phone call, our purchasing habits, or what our profile answers are on dating sites, all of this personally identifying information can be used, sold, and shared online to create an extremely detailed representation of our lives. Is convenience a big enough trade off for our privacy? How can we understand how our data is collected and used - and how can we have some semblance of control with how our information is used? In this session, Leigh-Chantelle offers solutions to help attendees understand how our digital trails are created and some of the things we can do to alleviate the harm, including how we can pause, consider, and decide to make lifelong healthy digital habits. Watch the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/T48TTfgS0jw See more events for #DataScienceWeek 2021: https://datascienceweek.org/968-2/

1. 11 MAY 2021 #DATASCIENCEWEEK
Leigh-Chantelle
HOW YOUR DATA CAN BE
USED AGAINST YOU

2. The Internet continuously changes and evolves - it’s different that what it once was when you joined
Anonymity is important and essential for a free and open internet
Our online footprints are more visible and more permanent
COVID-19 has turbocharged digital adoption for contract tracing and movement control apps and using
Arti
f
icial Intelligence (AI) for decision making
New technologies are yet to show the full extend of their risks, limitations, and consequences of tracking
citizens, students, and workers; and having shortsighted data privacy policies
Australia is the only developed country without a digital rights bill
TECHNOLOGY

3. Always-on cultured tethered to digital devices
With work from home and online learning the norm, more scrutiny is needed for our practices and the
technology we rely on
COVID encouraged technology companies, businesses, and governments to roll out technology
without understanding or anticipating risks for privacy and safety
Tech companies have been designed to collect information about you to sell it to advertisers - your
data is bundled together to create your digital pro
f
ile and sold to the highest bidder
The more data collected on you, the more risk to your privacy
TECHNOLOGY USE

4. People in power come up with bad technology and have the resources to roll these out and market to
consumers
Techno-solutionism: The way we accept technology solutions as easy and quick ways to solve real-
world and complex issues - it is NOT magic
Complex issues need deep understanding and true debate to come up with complex and real
solutions
Technology solutions often harm the vulnerable people they are meant to protect
e.g., app to verify consent before adults engage in sex; Robodebt
TECHNO-SOLUTIONISM

5. Trust in technology fell all around the world in 2020 (70 out of 100)
Popularity in technology has helped protect the industry from critics and regulators, but this
is declining
Social media companies trust score is 46 - below other business categories
The increasing dif
f
icult relationship between technology and the public is blamed for the fall
of trust e.g., misinformation, bias in AI, and privacy issues
CEOs are encouraged to “act
f
irst, talk later”
TRUST IN TECHNOLOGY
Axios, 2021

6. Dropbox: Almost 70M customers a
ff
ected in 2012, emails and passwords
Facebook: 500M+ breached accounts (20% of FB subscribers) in April 2021. Associating phone numbers to
identities. Also names and genders, with a lot of data including DOB, location, relationship status, and employer.
Kickstarter: Almost 5.2M members February 2013, email, usernames, and passwords
LinkedIn: 500M pro
f
iles April 2021 including full names, email, phone number, workplace information and more
NurseryCam: 10+ thousand accounts February 2021 exposed with email addresses
Oxfam Australia: 11.8 million accounts in March 2021, names, phone numbers, addresses, gender and DOB.
Small number of people had partial credit card data exposed, some had bank name, account number, and BSB
exposed.
Patreon: 2.3M+ records October 2015, emails, payment history, addresses, private messages, and website
activity
ProctorU: 400+ thousand user June 2020, email, names, passwords, phone numbers, addresses, usernames
Snapchat: 4.6M in January 2014 (one week after vulnerabilities were detailed) including usernames and phone
numbers, and locations exposed
DATA HACKED & SHARED
haveibeenpwned.com

7. Apps and websites can access:
Phone and email contacts
Call logs
Passwords
Internet and Calendar data
Device location data and frequented locations
Unique device ID
Data on how you use an app
Age, interests, purchasing habits, health, social
This information is collected and most likely shared with other companies - usually disclosed in a privacy policy
YOUR DIGITAL PROFILE

8. Social media platforms are being called out for their bad practices such as
f
lawed content moderation, rampant tracking,
algorithmic bias, harmful recommendations, limited political ad transparency, tax evasion, sexual harassment charges and more
with disinformation and hate speech accelerated by algorithmic recommendations (Mozilla, 2020).
Pro
f
iting off vulnerabilities of users is not a glitch in the social media system, it’s central to how their business model works
By interacting on any social media platform, the information gathered about you is used to target you with advertisements you
will click on - for adults, young people, those susceptible to advertising
The longer you are engaging with content on a social media platform, the more highly-personalised advertising can be sold,
based on detailed pro
f
iles on all users, including highly-sensitive information
Social media is not regulated (unlike radio and television) and dif
f
icult to track
We are the product when our data is bought and sold without out knowledge or agreement
SOCIAL MEDIA

9. As global dependency on big tech grew with the
pandemic and lockdowns, the big 7 technology
companies (Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet/Google,
Facebook, along with China’s Tencent/WeChat and
Alibaba) increased their power and pro
f
its (PwC, 2020)
Companies are racing to collect as much personal data
as possible, thinking in terms of money, ease of use, and
immediacy instead of the consequences of exposure and
targets for attack
More privacy by design is required than
f
ixing up privacy
issues after the event
TECHNOLOGY USE & POWER

10. OUR IPHONES
Orange (microphone) and Green (camera) dots provide a
visual indication on iPhone or iPads when apps are using
(iOS 14 update in Sept 2020)
Camera includes BOTH camera and microphone access -
both colours will not show at once
Go to Control Centre to check what app is using your
camera or microphone
Update your access in the Privacy section of your
Settings
Facebook is NOT listening to your conversations - you
are predictable due to your online digital trail
HowToGeek.com

11. AppTrackingTransparency/Apple’s Cross-Track opt-out
Stop apps from tracking your activity for advertising using a prompt
Settings > Privacy > Tracking > Allow Apps to Request to Track OFF
(manually only used by 3% of American iOS users in the past)
55% of people say they would not allow Facebook to track them on other
apps if prompted (TapResearch, 2021)
98% of Facebook’s revenue comes from advertising - ATT could result in a
7% loss to revenue (Mobile Dev Memo, 2021)
Only 13% worldwide & 4% of Americans are opting-in (Flurry, May 8 2021)
OUR PHONES: IOS 14.5 UPDATE

12. Normalising surveillance technologies (e.g., spyware for partners and tools for
monitoring children, students, and workers) increases abuse for vulnerable people and
encourages control (Citizen Lab, 2019)
Smart devices and IOT devices collect and share a LOT of data
Our desire for so-called security is its own security threat - Andrew G Ferguson, law
professor
SECURITY

13. Mozilla.org have created a *Privacy Not Included guide for apps and products that do not meet their
minimum security standards (encryption, automatic security updates, strong passwords, vulnerability
management, and privacy practices), shares and sells data, does not allow deletion of data,
readability of privacy information, and a poor track record of data protection
Smart home, home of
f
ice, toys and games, pets, entertainment, wearables, dating apps, and sex toys
Some of the worst: Amazon Ring products, most dating apps - especially Facebook Dating and Match
Group (Tinder, Grindr, Hinge etc), Roku, Schlage, Xiaomi
Some of the best: Apple, Eufy, Garmin, iRobot, and Lex dating app
*PRIVACY NOT INCLUDED
foundation.mozilla.org/privacynotincluded

14. Dating apps are not immune to security and privacy issues
Aspects shared include location, sexual orientation, HIV data, political leanings, date of birth, religion
The worst: Facebook Dating and Match Group (45 dating apps including Tinder, Grindr, Hinge, OKCupid, Match)
Match Group privacy policy states that you allow them to share your personal information with other Match Group
sites for non-commercial purposes
When you connect social media accounts (Instagram or Facebook) both the original app and the linked app collect
more information TOGETHER - do not link your dating apps
Researchers point out that algorithms (particularly for Tinder) have prejudice designed into it based on race,
gender, ethnicity, or age
The better ones: eHarmony, Happn, Lex
OUR RELATIONSHIPS ONLINE

15. Technology can be misused, especially for family violence, with double the risk for Indigenous women
Technology-facilitated abuse is gendered: 96% male perpetrators, 93% female victims
Tracking apps on phones are increasingly used for abusive partners to keep track of women and children keeping them
constantly fearful and anxious
Ex-partners can also constantly text or use social media to send threats - especially anonymous accounts
GPS tracking increased by 244.8%, camera use increased by 183.2%, and children used as a monitor for their mother
increased by 346.6% since 2015 (WESNET, 2020)
Check for door locks, tracing and monitoring devices, smart device assess, and stalking tools on phones and other digital
devices, kill switches on cars
See techsafety.org.au/resources/resources-women
OUR PAST RELATIONSHIPS
ABC.net.au

16. More data collected from the government without consent for sharing leads to more errors, which will only
worsen with the volume and speed of sharing this data.
The people most at risk are the people who access government services more than the average Australia,
marginalised groups (e.g., First Nations, disabled, elderly, and young people).
New laws could encourage the government to share any and all personal data without the public knowing or
consenting.
Concerns include weak consent requirements, lack of privacy safeguards, and bypass of existing privacy
laws (including the current Privacy Act),
f
inding a discrepancy between public statements from the
government and the legislation, and a scheme reliant on “good intent” rather than safeguards and real
protections (InnovationAus, 2021).
OUR GOVERNMENT

17. Robotdebt compared private data held by Centrelink against ATO averaged income data and generated fake
debt notices for vulnerable people even after
f
inding out it was illegal.
This cost $2 billion (was meant to raise $3B),
300 000 people were effected causing homelessness, immense trauma, stress, anxiety, mental illness, debt,
and deaths
“The government is once again getting away with being shysters, while making the little people feel like it is
they that did wrong,” quote by Fiona Forsyth from one of the victims she is representing
Centrelink disclosed a woman’s new address to her former partner who had a DVO out against him
The government demands to be trusted without
f
irst demonstrating to be trustworthy, and in fact
demonstrating the opposite. - Justin Warren, Electronic Frontiers Australia
OUR GOVERNMENT FAILS

18. The Online Safety Bill: “to keep Australians safe online”. Would increase the eSafety commissioner’s power by removing online
abuse, force app stores and services to remove app/website access, enforce veri
f
ication systems (e.g., face scan before looking
at age-restricted material)
The Data Availability and Transparency Bill: Making it easier for the government to share data with others to improve
government services. More data than necessary is being collected and could be used for more than its stated aims (e.g., NDIS
enforcement)
Privacy Act review: Review of a 30-year-old act. Focusing on reviewing personal information de
f
inition, exceptions, legal
rami
f
ications of serious invasions of privacy, noti
f
ication of people who have had their data breached. Europe’s General Data
Protection Regulation (GDPR) privacy reform is a great aim. This needs to come before the Data Availability and Transparency Bill
Surveillance Legislation Amendment (Identify and Disrupt) Bill: Amplify police powers by creating intrusive warrants without
judge signatures. The federal police and Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) will gain three types warrants to be
able to modify, add, delete, or copy data; access networks and devices; and take over online accounts to investigate
Digital Identity Legislation: Centralising how Australians prove their identity online. Using one login on various sites (e.g.,
Facebook and Google) including facial recognition software.
OUR GOVERNMENT: DIGITAL REFORMS
crikey.com.au

19. South Australian government redirected web users looking at press releases or for COVID information to a data-
harvesting platform, NationBuilder
Claimed that the redirections were accidental, no one knew about it, and no data was collected - privacy watchdog
concluded it was probable the government did not know this was happening
NationBuilder is a data harvesting company and campaign tool used for collecting data for political campaigns
including Trump, both sides of Brexit, and Labour NZ
Data collected includes name, job, employer, social media accounts, computer details, and internet connection - all
this information is added to an individual pro
f
ile
Political companies are exempt from the Privacy Act therefore are free to collect your personal information and data
OUR GOVERNMENT & DATA HARVESTING
ABC.net.au

20. The pandemic has provided excuses for companies and
governments to use more surveillance tactics under the guise of
public health and safety.
Responses to the pandemic allowed for more surveillance and
censorship, including how and when people are tracked, and
restrictions of online speech in more than 20 countries (Freedom
House, 2020)
Intensi
f
ication and expansion of police power during COVID
emergencies resulted in expansion of laws, reduction of scrutiny,
an authoritarianism risk, with some policing practices supersede
or undermine public health goals.
COVID policing allows intensi
f
ication of selective criminalisation
processes, with a disproportionate focus on First Nations peoples
in street policing (45% stops in NSW), and policing of radicalised
and socio-economically disadvantaged communities in public
housing.
GOVERNMENT SURVEILLANCE
Boon-Kuo, et al., 2020

21. Substandard technology from the federal government with data privacy
issues, technical
f
laws, security issues, human rights implications,
normalisation of surveillance, and a waste of taxpayer money (Digital
Rights Watch, 2021)
Tens of millions of dollars spent ($3.8M on development, $6M on other
works including the app, and an additional $64M on advertising), going
to companies involved with the Liberal party
Not ONE person from the app found that contract tracing has not
already detected
There are many issues with the COVIDSafe app including effectiveness,
privacy, and accessibility, and a major issue that people need to be close
to each other for 15 minutes to register as a close contact (9News, 2021)
AUSTRALIA’S COVIDSAFE APP

22. Can vaccinations be ethically and legally tracked to encourage travel and event attendance?
Principles necessary for using sensitive health data include transparency, limiting the
purpose and amount of data gathered, collecting only for the reason speci
f
ied, and secure
storage
Companies also need to ensure people are not discriminated against or treated unfairly
based on health status and that data is stopped from use after the pandemic ceases.
Even though regulations are unfolding when needed "The general rule from a privacy
perspective is that the extent you can do something with less information, that's usually
better" - Jennifer Geetter, partner of law (Law 360, 2021)
VACCINE PASSPORTS

23. Workplace surveillance is on the rise especially with more remote working
Technical innovations and ef
f
icacy encourage the gathering, processing, and storage of more data
Emerging issues include power dynamics of surveillance at work, use and ownership of data, pressure from the
workplace, and human resource practices
Software is used for facial recognition technology, mouse-tracking, keystrokes, websites visited, and hours worked,
and even recognising if you are concentrating or not
What once was used for security or regulation monitoring has now moved to monitoring productivity
Surveillance cannot solve the problem of employees being more productive, only strong and effective leadership can
IN THE WORKPLACE
Silicon Republic, 2021

24. Schools and universities are uncritically relying more on teaching and learning online, with
some universities using compulsory, privately-owned companies that do not have to be
transparent about the data and information they are gathering from their users
Students using these systems often have their gathered data used to develop and improve
ed tech, without negotiations from students, parents, or the faculty
Monitoring is not bene
f
icial for a learning environment; stresses students out when taking
exams; disproportionally effects women, people of colour, non-binary and trans people;
and encourages surveillance technology in education.
STUDENTS
The Nation, 2021

25. 70% of Australian teenagers use Facebook and 75% use Instagram (also owned by Facebook)
Facebook misuses personal data collected from young users targeting or creating mental health and
advertising vulnerabilities
Reset (2021) found pro
f
iles can be created for young people who have harmful or risky interests at a low
cost to advertisers e.g., reaching 1000 13-17 year olds interested in gambling (at a cost of $11.24), smoking
cigarettes ($138.50) and vaping ($210.97), alcohol ($3.03), extreme weight loss ($38.46), 18+ publications
($102.88), and online dating ($55.56)
Facebook restricts advertising alcohol, but allows targeting of people who are interested in alcohol
77.8% of 16 and 17 year olds were concerned about how much data Facebook collects about them with
65.2% disapproving of commercial advertising pro
f
iling
Sixty-
f
ive percent of parents are also uncomfortable with targeting children and tracking online
OUR CHILDREN
Au.Reset.Tech

26. Exploitative technologies have proliferated due to lack of collective understanding about
how platforms work and how they impact us. Unintended consequences take the form of
mental health, democracy, and discrimination issues.
Those of us who rely on these platforms are unknowingly complicit in a devil’s bargain,
where we trade our freedom for followers, our social cohesion for instant connection, and the
truth for what we want to hear (Exposure Labs)
Pause, Consider, Decide to ensure lifelong, healthy digital habits are created and
maintained
DIGITAL LITERACY

27. Understanding
Data Security
Privacy
Persuasive Design
Mis/Disinformation
DIGITAL LITERACY
The Digital Equilibrium
Approach:
Aims to identify, manage,
and improve imbalance,
stressors, reactive, addictive,
or unconscious behaviours.
Improving balance with
intention.
DigitalEquilibrium.com

28. Principles to restore Big Tech trust include CEOs acting
f
irst and talking later
Responsible AI, automation, and up-skilling
Shared prosperity - new jobs and skills
Codifying trust - fair and explainable aspects
Increased diversity, equity, and inclusion
humanetech.com (US)
humanetechnology.com.au (AU)
HUMANE TECH
Axios, 2021

29. Understand and Learn more about your Technology
Check your Settings (regularly)
Do you need the App? - Can you use it on your computer instead?
Use Brave, DuckDuckGo, Vivaldi, or other search engines
Use Signal over WhatsApp and Messenger
Use a VPN (get 30 days free with my referral: tinyurl.com/4r226z7w)
TIPS

30. Control what you can
Be aware and informed
Technology is not evil - or the solution to all our
problems - it is a tool
Understand and be more aware of your behaviours
Is convenience worth trading in our privacy?
SUMMARY
The New Yorker

31. Video will be on YouTube
Slides will be on SlideShare
@leighchantelle
THANK YOU
epicentreequilibrium.com // digitalequilibrium.com // leigh-chantelle.com // vivalavegan.net