Sensitive Data and the Importance of Protecting Your Privacy

Understanding Sensitive Data and its Impact

Are there certain aspects of your life that you consider highly sensitive and prefer to keep private? If disclosed and misused, these aspects could expose you to the judgment of others, discrimination and even have potentially serious consequences for your life. Such sensitive topics include your health status, political opinion, sexual orientation, and more. Privacy laws around the world recognize the importance of personal data related to these specific aspects of your life and have granted them special treatment, classifying them as sensitive data.

The definition of sensitive data is different in each country, but typically, it covers data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, genetic data, biometric data, health-related data and data concerning sex life or sexual orientation.

In this article, we will briefly explain the basics you need to know about your sensitive data and how to protect it.

The Imperative of Protecting Sensitive Data

Protection of sensitive data is not just a legal requirement; it's a fundamental safety measure for your rights and freedoms. The misuse of such data could impact your privacy much stronger than any other type of personal data. This misuse poses risks that include, but are not limited to, discrimination, social harm, and damage to your dignity and integrity.

Let’s see some examples:

  • ・Providing your biometric data, like fingerprints, presents serious risks. People with malicious intent could use this information to impersonate you or gain unauthorized access to high-level security systems in your name. This is especially concerning because your fingerprints are one of the most reliable ways to identify you. Unlike passwords, which can be changed if compromised, it is difficult and impractical to change your fingerprints.

  • ・Keeping your medical records safe. Your medical history is kept by your healthcare providers. If the clinic system experiences a security breach, your information, along with that of other patients, may be disclosed on public sites or sold to unauthorized parties.

As a result, understanding the importance of protecting sensitive data is crucial!

Steps Towards Protecting Sensitive Data

At Rakuten, we carefully assess how to handle and protect sensitive data. The main guiding rule is not to collect any sensitive data unless absolutely necessary. When we have to collect sensitive data, our approach is guided by a set of privacy standards known as Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs). These rules ensure that we maintain high global standards for data protection. Our BCRs recognize the importance of sensitive data and guarantee their use only when necessary and in accordance with the applicable legal requirements. For instance, our BCRs indicate that Rakuten will only use your sensitive data if you clearly agree to it unless we have another legitimate reason for doing so in accordance with the applicable law.

Our privacy policies tell you when and how we gather sensitive data, the types of data involved, and your legal rights regarding this matter, which may vary depending on your location.

You can also take steps to protect and better understand how we handle your sensitive data. Start by carefully reading the privacy terms when sharing sensitive information. Provide it only when necessary and with individuals and institutions that you trust. Additionally, use strong, unique passwords for your online accounts and stay informed about the latest scams and phishing techniques to avoid falling prey to them. Regularly review your privacy settings on social media and other online platforms to ensure they align with your comfort level, and be mindful about what you share on the internet.

Your sensitive data is invaluable, and its protection is our concern and priority.

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