IDX CEO Talks About Why One Generation is Particularly Vulnerable to Privacy Risks
Tom Kelly on the privacy risks for baby boomers and the importance of protecting personal information
As featured on The Price of Business Show with Kevin Price
Over the last year, consumers’ online privacy has been threatened from more sectors than ever before. Key culprits include major tech companies whose business practices are predicated on data collection and exploitation, including Facebook, Amazon and Google, many of which are facing scrutiny and backlash for their privacy practices and the privacy risks associated with consumers.
President and CEO of IDX, Tom Kelly, made an appearance on the Price of Business radio show with Kevin Price to discuss the risks of big tech companies to consumers and especially to the baby boomer demographic.
As baby boomers continue to be the largest user demographic on platforms like Facebook, their digital footprint has never been broader and more vulnerable to hackers and foreign actors. Generally speaking, baby boomers may not be as aware of the malicious online threats they may be exposing themselves to as other generations.
Each time someone signs into a social media account, that platform mines their data and utilizes it to extract sensitive information and monetize it to others. Many of these big corporations fund themselves by mining data and exploiting it. There are even companies like Amazon, with smart tech devices such as Alexa, that listen in on conversations 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and are able to analyze and extract sensitive information.
The point is, Big Tech is watching you
Kelly reminds us in his appearance on the Price of Business, that to stay safe, it’s important to be alert, be cautious of what is being shared, and consider alternatives. For example, instead of utilizing Google, consider DuckDuckGo, one of the features of IDX Privacy and a more safe and secure internet search tool. For baby boomers, as for us all, being vigilant of privacy settings and staying aware are key when avoiding fraud and identity theft.
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