AVISOC 2021

In 2021, I was privileged enough to represent the university for The ASEAN Virtual Student Opinion Competition hosted by Indonesia's Universitas Brawijaya. I won first prize for my piece about data exploitation. 

Initially, I was a bit hesitant to join. I wasn't in competition writing shape. You see, there's a difference between writing for a prize and writing for a client.

Writing for a client, the tone and style are already defined, you already have the target audience in mind, and is usually driven by a call to action. A competition piece for me, on the other hand, involves a lot of sitting on the fence. You can't be too casual nor too formal, you have to consider writing the piece for the general audience, since the judges come from different backgrounds. That, while still showcasing your writing style. 

Another reason for my hesitation is that I'm old. Honestly, I was sorta/kinda scared, since I was, for sure, older than everyone joining. I was afraid a loss would probably hurt my old man's psyche (I'm vulnerable that way😫). Anywho, I went on to join, scratched three other articles, and finally decided to go with the last one I wrote. 

I finished this one some 36 hours before the deadline.

So, here it is:

Issues in Digital Literacy and Information Technology: Data Exploitation

        Data runs the world. 

        Never in the history of humanity has data been more important than it is today. According to the International Data Corporation report in March, "In 2020, 64.2ZB (zettabytes) of data was created or replicated..." That figure alone is evidence of how much the world relies on technology. With all of our data collected, stored, and analyzed by websites, retail chains, and even the government, I believe that we are willing victims of data exploitation; I don't like the idea of it.

        For one, social media sites require us to give them private information in exchange for the use of their site. Sure, it's a small price to pay, but there is a clear and imminent danger surrounding data collection. In 2019, Facebook ran into controversy for its data-sharing practices. According to a leaked document reported by Olivia Solon and Cyrus Farivar of NBC News, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg used its users' data as a bargaining chip over competitors despite its data privacy claims. As a Facebook user myself, it is appalling that a company uses my information to leverage something for their gain rather than safeguarding the data I left behind. Yes, we always leave something behind. User data is not just the information we willingly share; every like, reaction, or post we view is under monitoring. Facebook's disrespect to its users' digital footprint may be legal, but the intention has illegal written all over it.

        I understand that companies harvest data to analyze and help them react instantaneously to the market's demand. However, the uncomfortable truth is that everything we do, search and touch that involves the internet sends out data about our activities. But unlike the information I voluntarily gave to sign up for online accounts, I'd rather keep my activities to myself. It is not about the simple advertisement that pops up in my newsfeed because I searched for a product on Google. It's about the unsetting thought of future employers turning me down because I lean towards an opposing political view or getting charged more for a service because of a previous payment I made.

        Moreover, those little bits and pieces of information are accessible to anyone through the stored data somewhere in the world. When pieced together, those fragments can create a whole "online clone" and can be used to dictate how far I can go as an individual in the future.

        In my opinion, the digital revolution is peaking right before our very eyes. Data exchange is here to stay. However, laws and policies should catch up to the technological advancement that generates record-level data outputs year on year. As citizens of a country, and netizens of the online world, we should be protected from the people who hold our data as hostages. I think there should be control over who collects and monitor our data, or else, the concept of privacy will be just that, a mere concept.

A special thank you to Ms. Lourdez Lamanilao for encouraging me to join AVISOC and for the screenshot above 🙂 thank you, Ma'am.