Privacy set to be key factor in personal data

Julian Ranger, founder and chairman of data protection startup SocialSafe, outlined his views on the future of data privacy in a seminar covering the future of personal data at the Global Corporate Venturing Symposium.

Ranger noted that information needs to be reorganised so value can be gained from it, as we have reached a plateau of innovation with what can currently be done with user data. As more apps will require access to highly sensible and personally-identifiable information, users will need to be put back in control of this data.

New European Union regulations on data protection and the ‘right to forget’ are a huge leap forward in this regard, and Ranger also pointed out that all data rights will have to be explicit and opt-in, all while keeping the actual data portable between services.

One problem the lack of portability has created is data loss. Whenever a person moves to a new service or even just changes utility companies, all their records are lost to them.

Data access in its current form is unreliable as it is controlled by the companies and not by the users themselves. Although companies such as Facebook allow third parties to look at data, it will not allow them to keep that data.

Secure, encrypted storage that combines all services into one library is needed, and Ranger hoped that his app would provide just this.

In the future, the app would allow users to give selected content to companies, while respecting the right to forget, without SocialSafe keeping any of its users’ data.

Ranger concluded by saying that in his view, such a library that is controlled by the users themselves is inevitable, though he also admitted he fears he could be bringing the platform to market too early.