Data Privacy and Tracking

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## Welcome to the Data Privacy and Tracking Wikia

*This article is about data privacy and tracking and how companies use our information.*

## Definition

**Data privacy**, also called information privacy, is the aspect of information technology (IT) that deals with the ability an organization or individual has to determine what data in a computer system can be shared with third parties.

Generally a tracking **system** is used for the observing of persons or objects on the move and supplying a timely ordered sequence of respective location **data** to a model e.g. capable to serve for depicting the motion on a display capability.

Privacy concerns exist wherever personally identifiable information or other sensitive information is collected, stored, used, and finally destroyed or deleted – in digital form or otherwise. Improper or non-existent disclosure control can be the root cause for privacy issues. Data privacy issues can arise in response to information from a wide range of sources, such as:

* Healthcare records
* Encryption
* Criminal justice investigations and proceedings
* Privacy breach
* Location-based service and Geolocation
* Web surfing behavior or user preferences using persistent cookies
* Big Data

The challenge of data privacy is to utilize data while protecting individual's privacy preferences and their personally identifiable information. The fields of data security and information security design and utilize software, hardware and human resources to address this issue.

## Computer Security

When it comes to data privacy and tracking, the field of computer security is of growing importance due to the increasing reliance on computer systems in most societies. **Computer security**, also known as **cybersecurity** or **IT security**, is the protection of information systems from theft or damage to the hardware, the software, and to the information on them, as well as from disruption or misdirection of the services they provide.

Computer systems now include a very wide variety of "smart" devices, including smartphones, televisions and tiny devices as part of the Internet of Things – and networks include not only the Internet and private data networks, but also Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and other wireless networks.

### Mobile Security

> *Main Article: Mobile Security*
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**Mobile security** or **mobile phone security** has become increasingly important in mobile computing. Of particular concern is the security of personal and business information now stored on smartphones.
More and more users and businesses employ smartphones as communication tools, but also as a means of planning and organizing their work and private life. Within companies, these technologies are causing profound changes in the organization of information systems and therefore they have become the source of new risks. Indeed, smartphones collect and compile an increasing amount of sensitive information to which access must be controlled to protect the privacy of the user and the intellectual property of the company.

### Data Protection

> *Main Article: France fines Google over "right to be forgotten"*
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There are a vast number of companies that used data tracking to send you adds and give you information you are more likely to click on. Google is one of, if not the largest company using data tracking for their search engine and applications such as Google Now and Google maps using location-based services. Well, what happens when you wish to have your information removed?
### Tracking

> *Main Article: Tracking User Activity*
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Reporters from *The Wall Street Journal* revealed that the most commonly visited sites are tracking the behavior of their online users. *The Wall Street Journal* identified over 100 companies and advertisers collecting user data and selling it on a stock-market exchange.
## References

1. ↑ "What is data privacy" TechTarget. Margaret Rouse. Retrieved 27 March 2016
2. ↑ "Definition of Computer Security". *Encyclopedia*. Ziff Davis, PCMag. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
3. ↑ "What is mobile security". Ivy Wigmore, Robert Westervelt. Retrieved 30 March 2016.

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