What Kind of Data Am I Creating—And What Happens to It?

Data is important for society and work, and data provides lots of opportunities. But there are also reasons to think critically about data and its use to prevent it from being misused or exploited at our expense.

This section has covered topics like the data iceberg, your digital shadow, GDPR, and (digital) ethics. All these provide us with a framework for critical thinking about privacy issues.

The data iceberg illustrates that just as communication between people involves more than just the words we use, our interaction with machines is more complex than you might think. Most data is created underneath the surface, so to speak, without us noticing or knowing about it.

We divided data into three categories: raw data, analytical data, and functional data. Both raw and analytical data can be visible or invisible, while functional data is for the most part hidden below the surface.

Much of this visible and invisible data relates directly or indirectly to you. Your actions, and the trails you leave behind, to some degree reflect who you are. This forms the basis of your digital shadow.

We have also looked at different aspects of digital privacy, GDPR, and digital ethics, what rights you have, and how you can best protect yourself and your privacy.

There is a lot to be aware of when talking about data. There are ethical and practical challenges, but also a sea of opportunities. It is these opportunities and challenges that we will explore in the next section.