Data protection has come into focus for enterprises globally, with more and more companies building their fortune off data processing, one way or another. Even with known legislative attempts, protecting consumer data is a worldwide concern, especially in countries growing faster than the government can keep up, such as here in India. Two key threats in data protection must be overcome to protect users’ data efficiently and safely.

Existing legislation, even in developed regions such as Europe, falls behind tech progress levels, no longer adequately responding to modern data threats. Organizations such as social media giants make money off users’ personal data, as either primary or supplementary business, with methods such as targeted advertising. One nefarious example of targeted advertising going too far occurred a decade ago when Target figured out a teenage girl was pregnant and began sending coupons for baby clothes to cribs to her house—before her father even knew she was pregnant, prompting the local Target manager to apologize multiple times. Target was able to do this by analyzing data trends and recognizing signs a person might be expecting—such as purchasing supplements and lotion. This is an apt example of how intrusive targeted advertising can be, and why so many users are, understandably, concerned about their data privacy.