data-accessibility
The degree to which individuals can obtain and control the personal data collected about them by companies, which varies widely among platforms.
2 chapters across 1 book
Dragnet Nation (2014)Julia Angwin
In this chapter, Julia Angwin explores the challenge of locating and understanding the personal data collected about her by major tech companies like Google, Facebook, and Twitter, revealing the extensive and intimate digital records they maintain. She contrasts the varying degrees of data accessibility and transparency offered by these companies and reflects on the paradox of privacy versus the desire for digital immortality. The chapter also introduces the data brokerage industry through the story of Mike Griffin and Hank Asher, highlighting the commercialization and pervasive surveillance enabled by aggregated personal data.
Chapter 6, "The Audit," details the author's investigation into the vast amounts of personal data collected by major technology companies and data brokers, highlighting the challenges individuals face in accessing and understanding their own data. It explores regulatory frameworks like the EU's Directive 95/46/EC and U.S. laws such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act, while revealing the opaque practices of companies like Facebook, Google, Acxiom, and TLO. The chapter also discusses government surveillance, legal battles over data access, and the implications of data aggregation for privacy and personal autonomy.