A CONTEMPORARY VIEW ON DATA BREACHES & DATA PROTECTION LAWS

Abstract

In this digital age of technologically advanced business world, where the concept of ‘consumer is the king’ is emerging fast - not literally to treat consumer as the king - but acknowledging the value of data rich consumers to economically make companies proposer. The idea is to monetise the data which the consumers bring within the reach of the entities and who with the help of this data, enrich their business profitability and saleability. Both, the consumer and the companies, relish the relationship - where consumer enjoy the services and companies love expanding their revenue. All goes smooth until there comes a breach of data privacy of individual. The prominent examples of social networking companies like Facebook, Whatsapp or Twitter are the evident business models where the business is driven majorly on data of users, be it their personal details, photographs, whereabouts and working capacities - which often goes on to store and analysis their psychological data and political opinions too. While talking about technology, ‘Artificial Intelligence’ cannot be left behind of the newest technology to apply intelligence on the data feeds through machines. Certainly, it has proven to be the big boon for corporates to understand the patterns of consumers, their likings, dis-likings and so on to pitch their product or services. However, this comes with a flip side - when the issues of unauthorised data access and storage beam up and it infringes upon the fundamental right of privacy.  The playful picture of kids, innocently playing around with their virtual friends ‘Alexa’ and ‘Siri’ when they aren’t as mindful that the companies behind these intelligent friends, are actually recording and storing all the activities and conversation happening around them.