Our responsibilities in the data world

We must not forget to look into protecting the user data and preserve the user's power over access and uses. We should always allow users to maintain control over what data is being used and in what context and be able to deny service or information that they may find compromising and having the option such as privacy settings and permissions. We must also comply with all the Personal Data and Protection Acts (PDPA) law in the interest of the company and our users. 

 

We must employ security practices for our platforms as well, against possible attacks with the increasing danger of privacy breaches. With users sharing their location data, an attacker may effectively predict demographic attributes and location frequency, putting the user at risk. We must also not allow the app to turn in to a surveillance app. Life360 is one such app that has a considerable concern about this issue, even though the app started with good intent. (Nast, 2019)

 

While many marketing opportunities may arise, we must not abuse it as such, that we do not spam users with information that is not necessary for them just for monetary gains. We must understand that our users do not want to feel uncomfortable with the information that we are presenting to them.

 

Learning from others - Google is setting up perimeters to ensure that the social and convenience factors can make users more comfortable with handing over their location data. One example is allowing users to hide contacts they don't want to see on the map so that oversharers does not pollute the maps. (Marshall, 2019)

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Summary and REFLECTION​

Learning to understand the different technologies that drive the way we humans interact with software, a device or to streamline work processes is no easy feat. There are so many technological advances as we progress, and many of them can converge into a new form of technology. Technology also can help to boost businesses, to even industries, such as the food-and-beverage industry reports that I have presented. It also changes the way of life for most of us, out of convenience and social norms behaviours. However, with all these positive impacts, we must not neglect on the adverse conditions that it may bring - privacy invasion, social platforms addictions, and even malicious attacks that it may bring upon a platform, of stealing data and hijacking of its uses.

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Over the course of writing this proposal, I have also learnt that developing an idea is fun, but what makes it work is more than that - I have talked to my directors (business strategy and product strategy), my developers (the good few who left me at lunch that sparked this idea), and peers on the feasibility of the concept, and have done iterations. I have had many positive feedbacks and new ideas, most people, liked the spin-wheel for lunch idea, and suggestions such as a dating lunch app, a human resource welfare app for employees, and much more. In the business sense of things, I was told that I'm lacking the monetary value proposition, how much will this profit the organisation? What is the future projection of the returns? This is something I still need to learn on and know how to do such financial calculations. One of the striking thing in mind is also that there are many strong competitors like Fave and Grab, and how might we stand up against these well-established companies? I have also reached out and spoken to startup founders (Effro, Studypool), and the stories of their hard work, sweat and pain are one could not see beneath the flashy success stories that they have built over time. 

 

With that in mind, I end off with valuable learnings etched in my mind and heart, and I shall seek to see if this idea gets a chance of being born into the technology world. After all, being experimental and innovative is the way to transform the world.