Due to government legislation, not many large databases are linked or joined. As data is used more together, it exponentially becomes more powerful and invades privacy. The pieces of a person’s life can be pieced together and the puzzle becomes clearer.
Did you know that if all your data was linked, I could:
- Tell you what day and time you are likely to go to the supermarket;
- Tell you what you are likely to buy at the supermarket;
- guess how many people and what ages are in your family;
- guess how often you travel; and
- guess where you normally like to travel.
Data on purchases is insightful when properly analysed, and is one of the main data trails that people leave behind them. Over the coming years, retailers will not accept cash as payment, meaning that all payments are traceable. Bitcoin is not yet a mainstream method of paying, but probably more anonymous and mainstream methods will spring up as people want to protect some of their privacy.