Datawarfare

Personal information has become the new gold of the digital economy. Immersed in the data era, its collection, analysis and sale have reached unprecedented levels, putting the privacy system of virtual environments in check.

The sophistication of the data business has allowed companies and governments not only to record millions of details about users, but also to generate fully personalised messages that achieve commercial and, more worryingly, political goals. The result: a constant bombardment of advertising and content, often covert, designed to capture the audience’s attention and steer it at will.

A couple of clicks and a tick on the screen. That is the surprising ease with which millions of users share their data online every day without stopping to think about where it goes or what it is for.

So, almost without realising it, we hand over a large amount of information that is quickly processed and sold to third parties, losing control over its use and opening the door to countless applications that are not always transparent or beneficial.

A lucrative market that poses serious challenges. In the face of this, so-called “technohumanity”, which defends the ethical coexistence of human beings and technology, faces a fundamental dilemma about exploiting this data without harming people’s rights and privacy.

The lack of transparency about who handles data, for what purpose and what people’s rights are remains an unresolved issue in this era of excessive information. In this sense, it is essential to move towards effective legislation that guarantees a balance between use and privacy.