Let's Follow the EU!

Being a college student can be hard. It seems like at times that it is almost impossible to find time to do things such as shopping. Due to my lack of time, and busy schedule, I often make my purchases online. It is easy, not very time consuming, and convenient. What online sites lack to tell you is that your every move, and every purchase are often being monitored by companies so that they can collect data about things that you like. This data is often used to better market ads at you as an individual. I don’t think that it is very fair that this type of information is so easily accessed without my consent. Shouldn’t I have a say in who receives my personal information? Apparently that right is not guaranteed here in the good old U.S.A.

In one of his articles, Hull describes privacy as not just an issue within the United States, but also amongst other international entities such as the European Union. When I had finished reading the article, I must say that I think that it would be very beneficial for us to adopt the ways of the European Union when it comes to the issue of privacy. I believe that adopting stricter rules about keeping citizens information private would help our country as a whole. Many citizens often become frustrated when they have their data processed for no reason, or have their personal information passed along to another marketing company without their consent. In the EU, when collecting information from an individual, the people collecting other’s information must state their identities, why they are processing that specific person, and some additional information. Unlike the U.S., the EU can only use the processed information for specific purposes that have been agreed upon in advance. The United States allows a company to use someone’s personal information for unlimited purposes that need not be specified. I believe that this is an invasion of our citizen’s privacy since they cannot even choose as to what their information is being used for. One point about the European Union’s privacy policy that really sold me was that of how their data is provided to third parties. In order for personal information about a citizen to be released to third parties for direct marketing, “the individual must be informed and have the right to opt out free of charge.” How is it that we do not have such an implementation on privacy in what is supposed to be one of the most free and fair governments in the world?

By instating at least some of the policies that are present in the European Union, I believe that we can better secure the identities of our citizens, as well as fulfill our duty of keeping things private if that is the wish of the citizen or consumer.