#donotcollectifyoucannotprotect

but worth it in a good way

I noticed this sign near Davao International Airport when I was traveling back and forth to my sweet home alabama and for some reason it's kinda weird for a sign to be put in there without any context, just this ominous text that says "Dabawenyos are not for sale" but it's visible though for all people who past that area. So, at first I did not pay any attention to it because maybe it was just a props of a certain event so I was not curious but when this certain adviser, I mean my adviser mentioned this phrase or I read it somewhere in his presentation that " Do not collect if you cannot protect". Then I began searching for the meaning behind it because maybe it was somehow connected and upon searching for it there aren't really much on the internet so was still confused but I did read some random rumors here and there. Then I got the gist of what that sign really means and it was something like a sensationalizing campaign something for the UNITEAM and that was it nothing much, but I guess other people also didn't mind it at all because it didn't catch their interest unlike me. However, moving on, let's go back to my life I mean what this blog was all about, the first paragraph was just there to confused you so pay no mind to it. So, next would be the pandemic shenanigans such as the QR code and other data obtaining/requiring method for our "safety", I mean it's real, it really is for the safety of the masses but the thing there is when they collect personal information—I guess it's a normal thingy because the government is the one collecting/ requiring these information's but other than that, what will they do with it? I don't really think it's for documentation purposes only but I could be wrong of course I'm just a normal person with just a little bit of knowledge on everything. So, I heard something really interesting from my adviser (the most handsome one) that these information are something like controlling the unnecessary movements of the masses within Davao City—in simple terms it's for them to have information on you yourself an owner of the majestic and indomitable Davao QR code. Then, I thought to myself that what if I also create a system that acquires information to all people around the world and control them because Information is power theresay—no I'm just kidding. It just came to mind that those people I mean we, if the government would sell our information then I guess we would also be stripped out in our own country and that's something that's not the reason why our natl. heroes chose to sacrifice their own lives for our own good.

On the surface, it's a comical little pirate-infused quip. But embedded within that simple saying is a profound principle about the risks of unchecked data collection without proper protection mechanisms in place.

Why would any savvy pirate crew needlessly hoard more treasure and bounty than they could securely stow away? All those valuable plundered riches would just become low-hanging fruit, inviting relentless attacks from rival bandits and scoundrels looking to pillage the bounty for themselves. The loot is only as good as your ability to vigilantly guard it.

Transpose that idea to our data-driven digital age, and you'll see an alarming analogy taking shape. These days, user data has become the world's most lucrative form of bounty - stockpiled and endlessly mined for commercial gain. But much like those foolhardy pirates, too many organizations are ravenously extracting more private data than they can realistically protect from the cyber scoundrels looking to plunder it.

The results have been catastrophic and frequent - from the Equifax breach exposing nearly 150 million Americans' personal data, to Yahoo's forfeiture of 3 billion user accounts. In today's landscape, an enterprise's data stores are only as valuable as their capacity to defend that sensitive information bounty from being pillaged.

On a more personal level, "Leave the spoils be" is increasingly vital wisdom for individuals as well. We are constantly bombarded with requests to freely divulge things like location data, browsing habits, passwords, and all sorts of privileged personal details to an endless parade of apps, websites, and platforms.

Simply put, being more judicious about what data we collect - whether as individuals or companies - is the best way to mitigate future privacy disasters. Having the disciplined mindset to "leave those spoils be" rather than greedily amassing and monetizing every shred of data is a crucial safeguard.