Do you know ... about data mining?

> It is the process of extracting usable data from a larger set of raw data by analysing patterns using software.

Businesses can leverage on data mining to learn more about their customers and carry out targeted marketing based on individual purchase histories. > Data can also fall into the wrong hands and be used by cybercrimin nals to carry out fraudulent transaction ns.

That online shopping order you placed last week? Your details wen nt into database. T That loan applica ation you filled out? t?

Also in a database. Would you feel comfortable about someone having access to all this data about you?

> Th he most recent cont troversy invo olving data min ing is the

Face ebook data scan ndal that cros ssed inte rnational bord ders and repo ortedly influ uenced the 2016 US elec ctions.

ManyM senators honed in on

the scandal, in which consultancy

Cambridge mbridge Analytica reportedly obtained 87 million user profiles, and Russians were said to have meddled in the presidential election too. > There are also allegations that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official smartphone app is shipping users’ personal data to servers abroad.

This political scandal happened in late March. India’s privacy rules are weak and data mining apparently is rampant.

The country does not have a dedicated law on data protection or privacy, or one on cybersecurity.

> Earlier this month, Grindr – the social network aimed at gay, bisexual and transgender men – came under fire for sharing users’ HIV status, sexual tastes and other intimate personal details with two external software vendors.