We all hear about privacy, but do we really understand what this means? According to privacy law expert Robert B. Standler, privacy is “the expectation that confidential personal information disclosed in a private place will not be disclosed to third parties when that disclosure would cause either embarrassment or emotional distress to a person of reasonable sensitivities.”

It’s important to remember that privacy is about so much more than money and advertisements — it ties directly to who we are as individuals and citizens.

What Is the Price of Convenience?

Most users willingly volunteer personal information to online apps and services because they believe they have nothing to hide and nothing to lose.

When I hear this reasoning, it reminds me of stories from World War II in which soldiers sat on the sideline when the enemy was not actively pursuing them. When the enemy did come, nobody was left to protect the soldiers who waited around. That’s why it’s essential for all users to take a stand on data privacy — even if they’re not personally affected at this very moment.

Some folks are happy to disclose their personal information because it makes their lives easier. I recently spoke to a chief information security officer (CISO) and privacy officer at a major unified communications company who told me about an employee who willingly submitted personal data to a retail company because it streamlined the online shopping experience and delivered ads that were targeted to his or her interests.

This behavior is all too common today. Let’s dive deeper into some key reasons why privacy should be top of mind for all users — even those who think they have nothing to hide.

How Do Large Companies Use Personal Data?

There is an ongoing, concerted effort by the largest technology companies in the world to gather, consume, sell, distribute and use as much personal information about their customers as possible. Some organizations even market social media monitoring tools designed to help law enforcement and authoritarian regimes identify protesters and dissidents.

Many of these online services are free to users, and advertising is one of their primary sources of revenue. Advertisers want high returns per click, and the best way to ensure high conversion rates is to directly target ads to users based on their interests, habits and needs.

Many users knowingly or unknowingly provide critical personal information to these companies. In fact, something as simple as clicking “like” on a friend’s social media post may lead to new ads for dog food.

These services track, log and store all user activity and share the data with their advertising partners. Most users don’t understand what they really give up when technology firms consume and abuse their personal data.

Advanced Technologies Put Personal Data in the Wrong Hands

Many DNA and genomics-analysis services collect incredibly detailed personal information about customers who provide a saliva-generated DNA sample.

On the surface, it’s easy to see the benefit of submitting biological data to these companies — customers get detailed reports about their ancestry and information about potential health risks based on their genome. However, it’s important to remember that when users volunteer data about their DNA, they are also surrendering personal information about their relatives.

Biometrics, facial recognition and armed drones present additional data-privacy challenges. Governments around the world have begun using drones for policing and crowd control, and even the state of North Dakota passed a law in 2015 permitting law enforcement to arm drones with nonlethal weapons.

Facial recognition software can also be used for positive identification, which is why travelers must remove their sunglasses and hats when they go through immigration control. Law enforcement agencies recently started using drones with facial recognition software to identify “potential troublemakers” and track down known criminals.

In the U.S., we are innocent until proven guilty. That’s why the prospect of authorities using technology to identify potential criminals should concern us all — even those who don’t consider privacy to be an important issue in our daily lives.

Who Is Responsible for Data Privacy?

Research has shown that six in 10 boards consider cybersecurity risk to be an IT problem. While it’s true that technology can go a long way toward helping organizations protect their sensitive data, the real key to data privacy is ongoing and companywide education.

According to Javelin Strategy & Research, identity theft cost 16.7 million victims $16.8 billion in the U.S. last year. Sadly, this has not been enough to push people toward more secure behavior. Since global regulations and company policies often fall short of protecting data privacy, it’s more important than ever to understand how our personal information affects us as consumers, individuals and citizens.

How to Protect Personal Information

The data privacy prognosis is not all doom and gloom. We can all take steps to improve our personal security and send a strong message to governments that we need more effective regulations.

The first step is to lock down your social media accounts to limit the amount of personal information that is publicly available on these sites. Next, find your local representatives and senators online and sign up to receive email bulletins and alerts. While data security is a global issue, it’s important to keep tabs on local legislation to ensure that law enforcement and other public agencies aren’t misusing technology to violate citizens’ privacy.

Lastly, don’t live in a bubble: Even if you’re willing to surrender your data privacy to social media and retail marketers, it’s important to understand the role privacy plays in day-to-day life and society at large. Consider the implications to your friends and family. No one lives alone — we’re all part of communities, and we must act accordingly.