Data Privacy Day emphasizes identity protection

Friday was Data Privacy Day, an internationally recognized day meant to “celebrate the dignity of the individual expressed through personal information,” according to the Privacy Project’s website. In today’s world where powerful technology and communication devices are meant to enhance lives, there is still a lot of worry about how much private information is easily leaked and shared.

“In this networked world in which we are thoroughly digitized with our identities stored as so many bits and bytes, we have to ask — who is collecting all of this?” the event’s website says. “Most of all, individuals are asking, ‘How can I protect my information from being misused?’”

In 2009, the U.S. House and Senate recognized Jan. 28 as National Data Privacy Day. Since then, educational presentations, demonstrations and discussions representing all ages have attempted to increase the privacy of consumer information.

On www.dataprivacyday.org, readers can find events, information and links to helpful resources on how to protect personal information, ways to get involved and more. The website caters to everyone from young kids to businesses to corporations.

Young adults are advised to take all precautions needed to make their information on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter safe from being distributed to other websites. Many publications are available on the website that give readers an idea of just how far Facebook can go in distributing users’ information without a user’s awareness.

In a technological world where sharing happens before users even realize it, students are highly encouraged to make their protection a number-one priority in order to avoid identity theft, a communication crisis or violation of personal rights.