Redefining 'Personal information' online

There has been a lot of debate about the use of PII or Personally Identifiable Information on the internet these days. Many a blog post and many a newspaper article has touched on the subject, some pro, some anti PII-usage especially when it is used for targeted marketing and advertising.

SO, I raised the topic among some friends, you know, everyday people; not business people, not social media and internet gurus - everyday people. Do you know the response I got? Stares, yes, that's right I got blank "what the hell are you talking about?" stares.

This didn't quite shock me, if I'm being honest because I was trying to prove a point to myself. I was trying to prove that for all the pro/anti PII usage article and blog posts, those who are affected, those who are being exploited, don't have a clue what the expert are talking about.


In fact, I myself, didn't really know much about it until I went on the web, searched the term and clicked on the Wikipedia definition of Personally Identifiable Information and got this:



Think about it, we can be identified using only : Gender, date of birth and post code. That is quite a shock. But for me, the definition was lacking something, something that has only recently developed, especially as a result of social media. So allow me to add a few more Personally Identifiable Information examples:

• Personal Thoughts
• Facebook 'Likes'
• Shopping 'Habits'

These aren't necessarily factual, BUT, I predict they will be. In fact, they are already in play. Let's prove it.

Starting with twitter, researchers from Indiana University have recently devised a way to predict DOW market shares using "mood algorithms".

Facebook 'Likes' can be used to filter down the list of possible "targets" when creating a facebook ad - basically what we "Like" is monitored and which then allows advertisers to target us. Technology blogger Mike Butcher said having people's personal information is Facebook's most powerful tool. He also says that "facebook learns about what we LIKE and..." do I even need to finish that quote?

And last but not least, shopping habits. Why is this personal? When we shop we look for a particular style...OUR style, it is unique to us, so how do you feel about someone using your shopping habits to constantly stalk you with the products you have put in your wishlist, or simply looked at, in the hope that they can make some money off of you? Invasion of privacy? Exploitation of desires, maybe?

Twitter is, what I like to call a 'Thoughts Exchange", a marketplace, an arena, an emporium where we can exchange our thoughts freely without (we hoped) indoctrination, reprimand or judgement. Instead, these mediums are now being used to monitor more than what we regard as personal information.

The funny thing is, most people, like my everyday friends, won't see these things because they were not brought up being told that their thoughts are personal information, but why is that?

What we think can be used against us in the same way that Miranda Rights recognises that what we say and do can be self-incriminating. But what I am suggesting is that the playing fields have been shifted, where once we were standing on grass, we are now standing on astroturf - we can't quite tell what is what, which gives the advertisers and cold-blooded companies free rein to do whatever they want with our information.

This year, with the rapid development of social media, RE-defining what 'personally identifiable information' or 'personal information' is of utmost importance. Right now, as amazing as social media is, it is also the 'Wild West' of technology, its regulation are there, but the sheriffs are a little laid back about the implementation of the rules. Until we can define what personal information means now, in the same way a dictionary is revised every year.

If we take a static approach and hope the powers-that-be will find a way to rectify this problem we will be sitting ducks. It is up to you and me to decide whether we want others to control our information or if we want to find a way to take control of what is rightly ours.

~ADIOS~

I'll be writing a series of posts on personal information online over the next few weeks so keep looking out for new posts!