Why passive data mining erodes trust

My nonprofit leaders, here is a reminder of how data can impact the hard-built trust with the community: ● You collect data and never share back what you learned. → people gave their time, insight, and stories — and you disappeared. ● You ask for feedback, but nothing visibly changes. → silence after a survey signals: “We heard you, temporarily.” ● You only report the “positive” data. → editing out discomfort makes people feel their real concerns don’t matter. ● You don’t explain why you are collecting certain data. → people feel they are being extracted, not invited into a process. ● You ask the same questions in 3 different data collection tools in the same year — and do nothing new. → it reads not purposeful. ● You frame questions in a way that limits real honesty. → biased language, narrow choices, and lack of nuance tell people what you want to hear — not what they need to say. ● You over-collect but under-analyze. → too much data without insight leads to survey fatigue and disengagement. ● You hoard the data instead of democratizing it. → when leadership controls the narrative, your community loses faith in transparency. ● You don’t acknowledge who is missing from your data. → if marginalized groups are underrepresented and unacknowledged, you reinforce exclusion. ● You use data to justify decisions already made. → trust me, people know when you’re just cherry-picking numbers. #nonprofit #nonprofitleadership #community

Have you ever wondered what happens to your personal data when you use certain software or browser extensions? Well, prepare to be shocked! A recent investigation by the Czech data protection authority has unveiled a concerning practice in the tech industry. It appears that a major software company has been transferring the personal data of its users, including their browsing history, to a sister company without proper legal authorization. The scale of this data sharing is staggering, with over 100 million users affected. What's even more troubling is that the company allegedly misled its customers by claiming the data was anonymized and used solely for statistical purposes. This incident highlights the importance of transparency and accountability in the digital age. As consumers, we entrust our personal information to the companies we use, and we deserve to know how that data is being handled. But this is not just a problem for individual users. It's a systemic issue that affects the entire cybersecurity and AI industry. When companies prioritize profits over privacy, it erodes public trust and undermines the credibility of the entire sector. So, what can we do about it? It's time for a lively discussion on the ethics of data sharing and the need for stronger data protection regulations. Join the conversation and let's work together to ensure that our personal information is treated with the respect and care it deserves. #DataPrivacy #Cybersecurity #TechEthics #AI

Google clearly wants data — at any cost. But at what cost to your business? I understand the reasoning behind converting 3P domains into 1P ones. But let’s be honest: this “technique,” promoted by Google and others, sidesteps user consent. That’s not a long term strategy — it’s a trust killer. When a visitor uses an ad blocker, or configures settings not to be tracked, that choice deserves respect. Ignoring it erodes trust and it undermines the relationship with your customers - as well as the other 95% of visitors who might become one. What irks me most however, is how this kind of covert tracking contributes to a broader problem: a surveillance economy. It’s a far cry from when I joined Google in 2005, inspired by the company’s then mantra: "Don’t be evil". Back then, data was seen as a force for good — helping to improve all types of decisions, grow businesses, strengthen economies, and support democracy. It still can be. Tracking doesn’t have to be sneaky. We don’t need to sell snake oil. The future of data is built on trust, not tricks. Good data governance starts with a plan, a protocol, and the right tools to execute and monitor it. You can do all of this without resorting to technical sleight of hand. #GoogleTagGateway

🚨 When HIPAA, Google, and health insurers collide… This one hits different. Blue Shield of California—a major player in U.S. healthcare—just found itself in the middle of a full-blown data privacy storm. Here’s what happened: They used a service called “Pixels” to track website visits. Innocent on the surface. But it turns out the tool silently funneled sensitive info straight into Google’s hands. And we’re not talking cookies and pageviews. We’re talking health data—names, medications, appointment types, and even diagnoses. ⚠️ Yeah… under U.S. law, that’s protected health information (PHI). ⚠️ Yeah… they didn’t have user consent. ⚠️ And yeah… this might be one of the biggest breaches we’ve seen this year. The real kicker? Google might not have even wanted this data—but their pixel script collected it anyway. Passive tracking tech, not tuned for medical nuance, created a digital privacy landmine. 💥 This isn’t just a healthcare tech fail. It’s a wake-up call for every business that uses analytics tools without full stack awareness. If you’re in: → Health → Finance → Legal → Or any industry touching sensitive data Ask yourself: Are your scripts, tags, pixels actually compliant? Because here’s what’s next: 🔍 Class-action lawsuits 📝 HIPAA violation fines 📣 Massive trust erosion Even Blue Shield admitted the issue went undetected for over two years. That’s not a leak. That’s a silent flood. If your devs or marketing team say “It’s just a pixel,” Tell them: That pixel might just be a lawsuit. And if you work with healthcare clients in paid media, data attribution, or SEO? Start auditing. Like, yesterday. Let’s stop treating user data like it’s up for grabs. Because when trust gets breached, it doesn’t bounce back. — 🛡 Your move: Enable strict-mode analytics. Use server-side tagging. Audit third-party scripts quarterly. Privacy isn’t an optional feature. It’s your brand’s firewall. #dataprivacy #healthtech #google #HIPAA #pixels #trustmatters