Data Privacy Day contest update: Announcing the winners, and your privacy-aware entries!

To celebrate Data Privacy Day (January 28) we launched a McGill-wide contest to emphasize why data privacy should be important to you. The first and second-place prizes were a $100 and $50 e-gift card to the Le James Bookstore, respectively. 

We asked you to choose a line from an app’s Terms and Conditions that could violate your privacy and tell us why.

Your privacy-savvy replies prove that many McGillians recognize the value of personal information and why it is important to protect it.

Here are excerpts from some of your entries: 

“Even though tracking data is commonplace in today's society, [this app] has seemingly unlimited control over the data it can store...”

“Private conversations should not be allowed to be read by a third party.”

Concerned about safeguarding your privacy? Check out these tips for managing your privacy settings on popular apps, and some guidelines for keeping your personal information safe.

Update: We have our winners! Congratulations to grand prize winner Satish Kumar Tumulu (pictured) and second-place winner Alice Guo! 

Satish Kumar Tumulu, grand prize winner of the 2022 Data Privacy Day contest

Thank you to everyone who entered the contest and shared their thoughts on data privacy. 

Want to know more? Keep your personal information safe year-round with these safety tips:

• Lock your devices
• Online safety basics
• How updates secure your device

Here are some more of your entries:

• “[the app’s data policy] violates my privacy because even if I actively choose to not share my precise location, the app will still gather information from near-by signals that will disclose my location to the app.”
• “[the app] claims that they will not collect information unless it is given willingly. However, it doesn't state what "willingly" means. By accepting the terms and conditions, you may be saying that you authorize the company to collect private information without knowing it.”
• “Since there is no clear definition of what information is "necessary" here, it means that certain data such as location tracking, or activity logs might be shared with or even sold to third parties without the need for your consent.”
• “Even though direct contact information is not given to the advertisers, the digital profile of what I use the app for is collected and used by companies. Anything I search up could be shown in an ad afterwards even without my intention of wanting to buy the product.”