NetLingo: data shadow

So what does my fave tech-lingo site have to offer today? Well, howzabout a marginally scary concept of the digital trail you leave whenever you choose to interact in today’s uber-connected world: 

data shadow

Every time you use a credit card, send an e-mail, browse the Web, or use a cell phone, small traces of digital information are left behind. This is referred to as a “data shadow”.

The concern in UK newspapers (perhaps some scaremongering, perhaps not….) is that certain Internet entities are gathering information (such as email, web activity, etc) about us, and it won’t be long before they correlate these axes of information to get a very accurate multi-dimensional picture of us. Even more worryingly, if criminal minds are also piecing information together, they have better means with which to commit illegal acts – be they fraud, ID theft, or other.

[Via: NetLingo]