Our Commitment to Your Personal Information

TrueNews takes data privacy very seriously, but unfortunately, that isn’t the case with many companies despite regulatory efforts surrounding Personally Identifiable Information or PII. This is critical data about an individual, that “when used alone or with other relevant data”, can identify them. 

For example:

• Your personal information, such as your
  • Full Name
  • Maiden Name
  • Mother’s Maiden Name
  • Mailing address
  • Residential address
• Personal identification numbers for
  • Social Security (or equivalent in other countries)
  • Driver’s Licenses
  • Passports
  • Bank accounts
  • Credit cards

Additionally, there is PII that is considered “non-sensitive,” such as gender, race, date of birth, etc. There’s some debate about what specific data constitutes PII, but we at TrueNews believe that your data should be protected, regardless of whether it is PII, Payment Card Industry (PCI) or Protected Health Information (PHI). To us, it’s all sensitive and deserves to be treated with the utmost of care. That is why we are committed to being transparent when it comes to who has access to your data.

The Problem with Privacy Laws

There are a plethora of laws out there that protect your info, although they are historically stronger in Europe, some US states have staunch restrictions in place as well. You can find out about privacy laws in your area with this resource from the International Association of Privacy Professionals. 

These laws are passed with good intentions but come with consequences. Because nearly every jurisdiction defines the rules differently, it can be costly for companies that have to meet compliance. For example, some countries mandate that data about their citizens must be stored in computers located physically in their country, while others specify whether or not the data can leave their country, even for processing. You can learn more about that here. 

New laws are also in the pipeline, which will complicate things further. The expenses associated with meeting various requirements, from infrastructure to implementation to maintenance, add up and companies have to find ways to make up the difference. How is it possible for platforms that are “free” to do that? Unfortunately, your data is footing the bill. Perhaps you’ve heard the statement:

“If something is free, you are the product.”

And it’s true. Despite data privacy laws being created to stop others from exploiting your data to make a profit, that is exactly what continues to happen. The misuse of personal data can cost money, jobs and lives. There are an unbelievable number of companies who are regularly harvesting and selling the data gathered by your Internet Service Provider (ISP), Google, Facebook and mobile apps.

The places you go, the things you do, the websites you visit, the shows that you watch, the purchases you make, your interest – someone is profiting off of it every single day, and you’re not seeing a penny of it.

I don’t know how that makes you feel, but it makes me angry.

TrueNews is taking a different approach to data privacy. Learn more about what we are doing here.