The pandemic has forever changed people's relationship with technology, and with it their expectations of user privacy, according to a pair of privacy experts speaking at the 2021 RSA Conference on May 19.
Julie Brill, chief privacy officer at Microsoft, noted that during the pandemic increasing numbers of people came to realize that they can work from home, learn from home, and socialize and still be deeply productive. With that increased reliance on technology has come growing awareness and concern about the privacy implications of different technologies and online services.
"People are saying more and more that they're concerned about how their data is being used and that they want more privacy," Brill said. "They want companies to do more, and they want governments to do more, to ensure that their data is well protected."
While access to online services has been a way of life during the pandemic, Brill emphasized that the pandemic should not be the reason why people are being asked to give up their privacy. In her view, it should be the case that companies that are providing online tools to schools, community groups and other end users need to be thinking about ensuring they are providing trusted technology.
In the absence of a comprehensive privacy law, which is still the state of affairs in the US, Brill said that it's critical that groups and individuals can trust the technologies they are using to go about daily life.
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