Critical Game Review

Introduction

In the context of globalization, a person’s activity becomes more connected to the global Internet. In the recent decades, the number of Internet users has increased significantly, making the issue of personal data protection topical. Mastering the subject through essay rewriting service specially important are information security and the protection of personal data that circulate the Internet. Data Dealer is a game aimed at explaining the potential threats of placing personal data on the Internet. The analysis of the Canadian legislation in the field of personal data protection reveals the shortcomings of Data Dealer and offers recommendations for improving the platform.

Negative Implications of Placing Private Information Online

The main threats of Placing Private Information on the Internet are:

1) Penetration into management systems. The openness of the Internet means that with the help of certain methods, any information, even with limited access, can be used by others. For example, according to Facebook’s privacy policy, users can restrict access to photos posted on their profile (Yadav and Mikko). However, if a user marks a photo of another user whose privacy settings are less strict, then the softer conditions apply to third parties. Thus, by changing the security settings of a personal account, the user cannot be sure of the absolute safety of personal data.

2) Infringement of copyrights and intellectual property rights. Availability and anonymity of network users often do not allow identifying the identity of a person receiving unauthorized access to personal data.

3) Dissemination of information that has a negative impact on various aspects of modern life. People use social networks to express their opinions about everything, from the quality of service to politics. The problem is that the newsfeed often resembles an endless stream of negative information. In 2015, scientists from the Pew Research Center in Washington, DC, tried to understand the impact of data from social networks on human psychology. According to the survey, which involved 1,800 people, women experience greater stress from social networks than men (Weinberg 616). The biggest “source of stress” was Twitter because through it users learn about the negative emotions of other people more often.

4) Distribution of unscrupulous and often just false information and advertising. For example, Facebook has repeatedly filed complaints with the courts on the disclosure of private information to users of commercial organizations. The head of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg does not hide the fact that even though Facebook is a non-profit organization, it makes profits due to the placement of advertising (Yadav and Mikko).

PIPEDA in Canada

In Canada, the Federal Law on the Protection of Personal Information and Electronic Documents is primarily aimed at protecting individuals’ private information. A distinctive feature of the Canadian data protection system is the availability of a kind of “sectoral” federal data protection officers. A federal Ombudsman is appointed to monitor the implementation of the provisions of the act on privacy protection to protect the rights of citizens to inviolability of privacy.

With regard to the protection of personal data, the legal processing of personal data must meet several conditions. First, data has to be collected and processed correctly and legally. Second, data is collected for a specific, clear, and legitimate purpose and processed specifically for this purpose (further processing of the data for statistical, scientific or historical purposes is possible provided that the principles and procedures established by law are followed and if such processing is not used in decision-making in relation to a person in question).Third, data is accurate and complete, and if necessary updated; any inaccurate or incomplete data must be destroyed or corrected. Fourth, data is stored in a form that allows identification of people it is related to during the period necessary to achieve the goal set for its collection and processing.

In general, the Canadian personal data protection system is quite effective. To date, the protection of personal data in Canada is also undergoing changes. Among the main directions of the reform are the minimization of data collection, elimination of a number of formalities due to the obligation to justify the necessity of each data request, the obligation to set the default protection parameters, the consent to the use of cookies, the distribution of liability for violations between the processing entity and the “subcontractor” system of European “one window”. Enterprises and organizations will be required to report to the national control authority as soon as possible (if possible, within 24 hours) about significant violations related to the transfer of personal data. Such activities are aimed at improving the system of protecting users in Canada.

Data Dealer Analysis

Data Dealer is a browser-based game, the main purpose of which is to humorously depict the misuse of private information of the Internet users. The immediate player acts as an aggregator of private information and makes a profit through the collection and sale of information. A significant advantage of the game is that it uses an interesting form to educate users about important social issues. The game is designed for users of different ages. Moreover, the game presents important issues, namely, the protection of personal data and the risks associated with the placement of data online, in a form that makes it more understandable and memorable.

Despite its educational goals, Data Dealer has a number of shortcomings. For example, the creators claim that they try to increase the awareness of users about problems with personal data on the Internet, but the mechanism of action in the game is somewhat erroneous. In reality, the process of collection and dissemination of data is different from that depicted in the game. For example, as an explanation of the existence of a legal regulation for the protection of personal data, the argument is made that people are squeamish. In reality, these laws exist because data insecurity is a real threat to the social well-being and security of a person.

Another problem of Data Dealer is an unrealistic representation of the collection of personal data. Much attention is given to intermediaries, such as nurses or private agents. In reality, the algorithm of data collection can do without involving additional persons. On the other hand, the idea of a personal data collection center as an “octopus” is effective. This approach gives the users an idea of the process of collecting and distributing personal data through various information channels.

Another drawback of Data Dealer is the fact that it ignores the corporate information layer – the data that is collected through credit or bank cards, as well as browser cookies. On the contrary, the game greatly overestimates the role of advertising companies and the results of online personality tests. This approach of the creators of the game should be changed because eventually, the spread of private financial data can cause much more damage.

In addition, many ways of collecting and disseminating information displayed in the game do not work in the real life. For example, a medical insurance company is unlikely to use the user’s weight data from the dating site, as it is displayed in the Data Dealer. Such an unlikely way of collecting information misleads users, and as a result, encourages them to use stupid measures to protect their personal data.

Finally, the game pays much attention to the illegal ways of disseminating private information through the services of hackers. In fact, as demonstrated by Facebook, there are shady approaches to collection, processing, and transfer of personal data, which are still legal. This approach of Data Dealer also creates a false impression of the protection of personal data of users within the framework of proven social media, and therefore must also be changed.

Conclusion

The analysis of the Canadian legislation in the field of personal data protection indicates the shortcomings of Data Dealer and offers recommendations for improving the platform. The main threats to the circulation of private information on the Internet are the openness and anonymity of the network. PIPEDA in Canada provides an effective mechanism for protecting users but also needs further improvement. Data Dealer is a successful way to educate users on the dangers of publishing private data online. However, the game has to undergo several changes: it is necessary to change the assessment of the legal regulation of personal data protection, to create a more realistic model of the collection of personal data, take into account the mechanisms for collecting corporate data, and also display the legal methods for the dissemination of private data.