We pay for free services with our privacy!

On the occasion of Data Protection Day on January 28, the production, interpretation, and risks of data, which has become one of the most strategic elements of the digital age, once again came to the forefront.

Drawing attention to the areas where personal data is most at risk, Hakan Özdemir, Corporate Big Data Coordinator at Üsküdar University, stated: “The greatest risks lie in mobile applications of unknown origin and open Wi-Fi networks. The most common mistake individuals make is a lack of ‘cyber hygiene’; that is, using easily guessable passwords such as birth dates and granting camera or contact access to every application without thinking.”

Reminding the audience of how free applications actually function, Özdemir added: “In the digital economy, there is no such thing as ‘free’; there is only ‘exchange’. You use a navigation app for free and in return you give away your location data and driving habits. You use a messaging app for free and in return you provide information about whom you communicate with and how often. These platforms do not see users as ‘customers’ but as a ‘target audience’ to be offered to advertisers. In short, we do not pay for services with our credit cards, but with our privacy.”

Data is the new oil of the digital age

Explaining why data is often described as the “new oil,” Özdemir said: “During the industrial revolution, oil was the main force that powered machines and grew economies. In the digital revolution, that force is data. However, there is a crucial difference. Oil is depleted as it is used, whereas data grows and gains value as it is used. Today, sectors such as finance, healthcare, e-commerce, and transportation no longer make decisions based on intuition, but on processed data. Raw data is nothing more than a meaningless mass of numbers, but when processed, it turns into knowledge and insight, providing competitive advantage to companies and countries.”

The real data is what we produce unknowingly

Özdemir emphasized that many people believe they only produce data when they share content on social media: “We think we produce data only when we share photos or send messages. In reality, there is a massive flow of what we call ‘passive data’. Our heart rate from smartwatches, our speed from navigation apps, and even how long we hover the mouse over a product on an e-commerce site are all recorded. With the spread of Internet of Things devices, our digital footprint has now entered our homes. Most of the data we produce continues to flow in the background even after we turn off the screen.”

Meaning matters more than quantity

Highlighting that what makes data valuable is not quantity but meaning, Özdemir stated: “In the past, the dominant belief was ‘the more data we have, the better’, which defined the Big Data era. Today, we have entered the era of ‘Smart Data’, meaning accurate and clean data. Billions of unnecessary data rows do nothing but slow systems down. What truly matters is identifying relationships between data and predicting the next step. It is not valuable for a supermarket to have millions of receipts, but to infer from those receipts that a customer has had a baby and to offer appropriate products.”

Lack of cyber hygiene is a major threat

Addressing areas where personal data is most vulnerable, Özdemir continued: “The biggest risks are mobile applications of unknown origin and open Wi-Fi networks. Entertainment apps that transform your photo into different characters, which have recently become popular, are in fact creating some of the world’s largest biometric data pools. The most common mistake individuals make is poor cyber hygiene, such as using predictable passwords and granting camera or contact permissions without consideration.”

There is no free in the digital world, only exchange

Reiterating the logic behind free digital services, Özdemir emphasized: “In the digital economy, there is no such thing as free, only exchange. You use a navigation app for free and give away your location and driving behavior. You use a messaging app for free and provide information about whom you communicate with and how often. These platforms view users not as customers, but as a target audience for advertisers. In short, we pay for services not with money, but with our privacy.”

Data literacy is now a fundamental civic skill

Referring to the rapid spread of deepfake videos and fake news, Özdemir stated: “Data literacy is the ability to question the source of information encountered in the digital world, to understand how it is produced, and to recognize whether a graph or statistic is misleading. The rapid spread of deepfake videos and fake news today is not due to technological inadequacy, but to low levels of societal data literacy. To avoid manipulation and defend our digital rights, this competence is now as essential as basic literacy.”

Collecting data is archiving, understanding data is detective work

Evaluating future risks, Özdemir remarked: “Collecting data is archiving; understanding data is detective work. Imagine having a puzzle box with thousands of pieces. Collecting the pieces is data collection, while assembling them to reveal the picture is interpretation. The technology world has moved beyond data storage. The real competition now lies in who can derive accurate and timely conclusions from data.”

He also warned that algorithms are trained by humans using historical data: “If past data contains social biases, such as certain professions historically employing only men, algorithms may assume this is a rule and exclude female candidates in the future. Technology may appear neutral, but if the data itself is biased or flawed, the outcomes will also be discriminatory. This is one of the most critical debates in digital ethics.”

The greatest danger is data manipulation

Özdemir explained that data breaches such as password theft or credit card fraud cause financial damage that can often be compensated. However, he warned: “Data manipulation is evolving into a far more dangerous threat. With advances in voice and image replication technologies, we are now facing the risk of having our perception of reality manipulated. Content that makes people appear to say things they never said or distorts events will threaten not only individuals but also societal trust and social life.”

“I have nothing to hide” is the biggest illusion of our time

Concluding his remarks, Özdemir cautioned against the belief that personal data is insignificant: “The idea that ‘I am not important, I have nothing to hide’ is the greatest illusion of the digital age. Your data may seem meaningless on its own, but when combined with millions of others, it can be used to influence social behavior. On a personal level, your voice, face, or identity information can be replicated to commit crimes in your name or defraud your loved ones. Protecting your data means protecting your digital identity and reputation.”