In 2022, gaming saw a massive rise in popularity. This rise, which has been going on steadily since the 2010s, is likely to continue in 2023. In other words, the video game industry is one of the fastest growing entertainment industries right now.
And with many people becoming much more interested in video games, the concept of online multiplayer games is becoming all the more popular.
Of course, when dealing with any form of online media, we inevitably have to tackle the topic of digital data privacy. For those who may not be aware, in 2018 a huge scandal revealed that Facebook had been selling its users’ private data to companies, for the purpose of targeted advertisement.
Since then, many measures have been taken to protect consumers from such practices. However, due to loopholes in the law, many believe that there is really nothing that can be done about data brokering.
However, we believe that there are ways to mitigate the problem, even if it is impossible to fully eliminate it.
So, in this article, we will give you a few ways to ensure your data remains private when gaming online.
Don’t Share Anything You Don’t Have To
The first step is the easiest, mainly because it doesn’t require any sort of activity on your part. When playing games online, make sure that you don’t share any information that you don’t have to.
Most games will require you to share your email, and create a password. Anything beyond that is already pushing it.
However, even if you are ready to give out information other than an email, be aware that there is some info that you should never share. A phone number may be alright.
But, social security numbers, credit card numbers, or anything of the sort should always remain private. By sharing this information, you are putting yourself and your finances at risk.
Also Read: How to Grow Your Gaming Skills?
Use a VPN
Virtual private networks, or VPNs, are an excellent way to protect your data privacy. While not 100% effective, a VPN is capable of spreading your private network over a variety of public networks anywhere in the world. This makes it much harder to trace your IP, and therefore acquire your data.
While a lot of VPNs are pricey, there are also some free VPNs that are pretty high-quality. And while they might not be as effective, they still get the job done. So, get your hands on a good VPN, and protect your browser and your data.
Data Removal Services
Finally, it is incredibly important to be aware that a good portion of your data has already been stored by data brokers.
The European Union has issued laws against this kind of abuse of personal data. So, if you get your hands on a data removal service, they will step into contact with data brokers, and get them to delete your private data from their database, by citing these laws.
Also Read: 6 Things Gamers Can Learn from Factory Employees
Conclusion
Ensuring your data privacy is one of the most important things you can do online. Not only will it benefit you, but combating this sort of data brokerage will help everyone in the long run.
