Connecticut is one of the few states with a data privacy law.
Our law enacted this summer gives residents more rights, including the right to access the data that Connecticut businesses collect about us, the right to delete data they may have, and the right to opt out of sales. are given certain control over their personal data. this data.
Cleansing your data online has benefits such as less targeted advertising and less chance of your information being included in a data breach.
But have you ever tried to find out which companies have access to your personal data? And have you tried to figure out how to opt out of company policies that allow you to sell your personal data?
it takes time. A study by Consumer Reports, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group, found that it took an individual 10 to 12 minutes to complete the process of opting out of just one company selling his data. . Imagine doing that for thousands of companies.
That’s why Consumer Reports has created a new tool that may help with that process.
The company has created a free app called “Permission Slip” that helps you track which companies are collecting data about you and tell them to stop if that’s what you want.
This is a solution to perhaps the biggest problem with data privacy: not knowing who even has your information.
“Of course, we all know what companies we do business with. We know where we shop. We know what websites we browse online. But data about me… There’s also a whole industry of companies that search for me, create profiles about me, and sell those profiles to other companies. It happens behind the scenes,” said Consumer Reports’ Ginny Firth.
Once you join the app, you can use Permission Slip to swipe through well-known companies that may have accessed your data, as well as companies you’ve probably never heard of.
Of course, downloading yet another app comes with consumer concerns. Consumer Reports says you don’t have to provide a ton of information for it to work.
Fass said the app adheres to minimalist principles, but when a user creates an account, they use identifying information to verify who they are and contact companies on their behalf. requires us to collect important identifying information, such as your email address and phone number.