The Art of Restricting Your Personal Data

A guide to online privacy, security, and peace of mind

It’s time we had frank conversation about who gets access to you. Photo: Pexels

All of us are frequently and routinely asked to provide our personal information to other people, organizations, and websites. Some of these requests arise from important or critical occasions in our lives: crossing a border into another country, registering to get married, or visiting a hospital for medical service. These are moments when we’re willing to provide our personal information to those who request it.

However, most requests for our personal information come from unimportant and noncritical sources: a nonprofit organization wants to contact you about a fundraiser, you sign up for an online cooking class, or you meet a reasonably cute human at a dive bar who wants your phone number. These are moments when we’re sometimes hesitant to provide our personal information to those who request it.

Despite our hesitation, we routinely provide the very same personal information to both critical and noncritical requests. We shouldn’t. Personal information is a top commodity in today’s digital world, and sharing it should be based on trust, not convenience.