Data Shadow

Definition - What does Data Shadow mean?

A data shadow is slang term used to refer to the sum of all the small traces of information that an individual leaves behind through everyday activities. A data shadow is a minute pieces of data created when someone emails, updates social media profiles, swipes a credit card, uses an ATM, and so on. The concept of a data shadow has become a serious concern because it is difficult to control who is looking at a person’s data shadow, what conclusions they are drawing and what actions they are taking based on those conclusions.

Techopedia explains Data Shadow

Many movie thrillers have a scene where a computer genius puts together a detailed account of a person’s life by collecting and collating data from different sources. Years ago, this idea was more science fiction than fact. As more of our lives are being recording over the Internet directly (email, social media, Web browsing, online transactions, and so on) and indirectly (point-of-sale terminals, mobile GPS, and so on), the size and detail of our data shadows has grown larger.

Data privacy laws exist and more are being created to prevent abuse of a person’s data shadow. This can happen when an employer, for example, fires an employee based on his or her Facebook friends or photos. Unfortunately, privacy legislation generally lags behind companies' ability to collect, compile and analyze data.

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