Points of Data That Define Me

Personal data, the world’s most valuable commodity it currently being traded between big tech giants free of charge gleaned from social media site profiles and online commerce sites. The Cambridge Analytica (CA)/ Facebook (FB) fiasco revealed this to the world. The data is being combed to find out what makes you tick. They determine what you love and what you fear and then propagandize you into behaving the way they want you to behave. They’re not just trying to sell you product. They’re trying to sell your data to people who want to sell you their ideas. Tell you who to hate and who to love.

You're being manipulated. My people perish for want of knowledge of God (and fake news, literally).

Cambridge Analytica was a British political consulting firm which used misappropriated of digital assets, data mining, data brokerage, and data analysis with strategic communication during the electoral processes of Brexit and the US 2016 Presidential election. That data was the personal data of up to 87 million FB users acquired via the 270,000 FB users who used a FB app called "This Is Your Digital Life." By giving this third-party app permission to acquire their data, back in 2015, this also gave the app access and visibility to information on the user's friends network. This resulted in the data of about 87 million users, the majority of whom had not explicitly given CA permission to access their data, being collected. The app developer breached Facebook's terms of service by giving the data to CA. The company closed operations in 2018 during the CA/FB data scandal most likely to legally dissolve or destroy incriminating data on themselves, although related firms still exist in different forms and under different names. The evil remains it just has a new name.

So, not only is your personal data being weaponized, it’s been done for a while now. I’ve written about this before and basically said that if you’re going to do business online and you’re a Christian with a message to get out (the Gospel) then you had better get used to complete transparency of your life. Combine the Cambridge/Facebook fiasco with the fact all of your life is recorded is a series of financial transactions and we have the Orwellian Big Brother literally in our pockets or purses. I now revisit this from a new angle.

First, nothing you do it hidden from God. In this way if we are living out lives to please Him there should be no issues. But of course, humanity generally doesn’t do this because of our nature. Second, we are to obey authorities over us unless they attempt to put themselves in the place of God in terms of authority. But what of privacy and information of a confidential manner. Are we entitled to it? Is information specific to us as people somehow unique. Does the Bible even speak of it in the modern sense of personal data?

I believe it does indirectly. Whether or not confidentiality is good, bad, or even possible, depends on whom the information is being kept from and for what purpose. As I said, data and information are impossible to keep from God but why would we even want to if He has our best interests in mind. So knowing this, we know that privacy and confidentiality is purely of the earthly realm.

“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account” ~Hebrews 4:13

God is the revealer of secrets ~ Daniel 2:22

No, the real issue is when it comes to other people. Those with malevolent intent or even careless ones that are ignorant of possible bad end results of their actions.

In truth, sometimes some details of a person’s life are better kept out of the public eye, even if exposing those secrets would be to our advantage which would be unethical. At the same time, there are some things we might want to keep confidential, especially about ourselves, that would be better confessed and dealt with God like some of our sins that can be used against us by others. Herein lies the grab…

How things are revealed or disclosed here on earth and for what purposes are often a matter of decision. More specifically….the biblical idea I’m thinking of is discretion. A person needs to make a judgement call. The Bible says that it’s important to distinguish between information that should be made public and that which should be kept private. Distinguish what is fact and what is lie. No one would want to go to a doctor, counselor or pastor who could not maintain confidentiality yet many of us divulge our lives to what amounts to strangers on Facebook. Admit it, even some of our Facebook  ‘friends’ that we see often don’t really know us all that well. Yet we know that those that would offer advise online may not even be what they seem. Their lives are carefully crafted narratives that aren’t even real.

Threats to others or intentions of self-harm ethically cannot rightly be kept private. The book of Proverbs, which extolls the virtues of wisdom, also encourages “discretion” three times in the first three chapters (Proverbs 1:4; 2:1; 3:21). So, the biblical question isn’t whether or not it is ever acceptable but how to know when a particular piece of information ought to be kept in confidence.

One aspect of confidentiality to consider is exactly whom we are attempting to keep information secret from. Here’s the biblical catch though….not only can God see, hear, or know (Psalm 44:21; 90:8)…everything he knows will someday be made public. That thought should give pause at least to the most immoral person.

Matthew 12:36 ~ I tell you, son the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak

2 Peter 3:10 ~But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

Then again, some secrets are better kept away from our enemies—something Samson failed to consider when dealing with Delilah (Judges 16:16–21). Aspects of military, law enforcement, or business may also require confidentiality (Joshua 2:1). In truth betraying confidential information in a business setting, for example, is no different from stealing or giving something away that’s not yours to give away.

As I said in older posts though…there are aspects of our lives that we are explicitly told not to maintain secrecy over, such as our faith (Matthew 5:14–16). I personally go a step farther to make myself as transparent as possible because of the witness I can give for Christ. Yet, even then there are aspects of our lives that are just between ourselves and God….

Matthew 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

The Bible demands confidentiality in some areas. We are obligated to honor secrets told to us in confidence. A secret or hidden truth is not the optimal condition but we live in a fallen world and discretion is warranted.

Proverbs 11:13 ~Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.

Proverbs 12:23 ~A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims folly.

Biblically, there is great value in having the discretion to know when to keep one’s mouth shut and keep something private and when to pass the information to others. We should be especially wary of hiding personal secrets so that we don’t have to deal with our own sin. Confidentiality is important, but it must be kept in a scripturally sound way. So, although I personally feel compelled to live my life as an open book with my heart on my sleeve...keeping secrets out of sound discretion is not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes silence is warranted and prudent.

Conversely, the government and especially corporations have no right to reveal your data to others without your permission. By divulging your information and data for a price without your knowledge they are violating what Is your right to keep to yourself. If you’ve already divulged information publicly then the damage is on you.

So, I have two takeaways. Firstly, the government and tech giants probably already have a ton of data on you. You should carefully screen what is fed to you via Facebook and advertising banners online or even from some of your ‘friends’. Are you sure everyone on your feed is even legit? The Facebook posts and advertising banners are specifically crafted to tempt you based on information you already given to them. Sometimes what they’re tempting you with isn’t a product or goods. It is ideas. Intellectual propaganda. Secondly, if you are truly worried about your privacy, limit you online presence. It really is the old Bible adage…

Proverbs 10:19 When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.

Online our lives are literally points of light, electronic data floating out there. How clear a picture they can get of you depends on how much data they can get on you. The data can be used to help us and bring us together or they can be used to destroy and degrade us. They can divide us which is what we are seeing in America today. Perhaps discretion is warranted on what we put out there to be used against us? Perhaps discretionary behavior his warranted. Perhaps we should live our lives as if we are living them in front of the throne of God who sees all anyway? Because in reality...we already are. The God who will make all known on the day of judgement.