Data Privacy Week (January 26–30): Take Control of Your Data

Every click, swipe and download tell a story about you. From the websites you visit to the apps you use and the devices you carry, your digital activity creates a trail of personal data - often without you realizing just how much is being collected, shared or sold.

Data Privacy Week, observed January 26-30, 2026, is an international effort to raise awareness about digital data privacy and empower both individuals and organizations to take control of how data is handled. At its core, this initiative advocates for respecting personal privacy and encouraging transparency in how businesses collect, use, and protect user information.

Why Data Privacy Matters

Millions of people are unaware of how their digital activity and personal information are collected and shared with large corporations. Your data can include:

• Browsing habits and online behavior

• Purchases and preferences

• Location data

• Health and fitness information (like steps tracked by your phone or smartwatch)

This information is often stored indefinitely and can be used to make assumptions about your habits, interests, demographics or socioeconomic status. Even data that seems harmless - such as favorite restaurants or games you play - can reveal more than you expect.

The good news? You’re not powerless.

By adopting a few repeatable habits, you can better manage your personal information and reduce unnecessary exposure. Simple actions like reviewing privacy settings, limiting app permissions and understanding how companies use your data can make a meaningful difference.

While you can’t control every piece of data collected about you or your family, you still have a right to data privacy. Your data is valuable, and you deserve a say in how it’s used.

Know the Tradeoff Between Privacy and Convenience

Today, downloading a new app, opening an online account or joining a social media platform often requires granting access to personal information before you can even get started. This data may include your location, contacts, photos or usage habits.

For businesses, this information is extremely valuable. For users, it’s important to pause and ask whether the convenience you receive is worth the data you’re giving up - especially when the service is “free.”

Before sharing your data, consider:

• Is the service, app or game worth the amount or type of personal data it wants in return?

• Can you still use the service while limiting what data you share?

• Is the data being requested even relevant? (For example, why would a Solitaire game need access to your contacts?)

• If you haven’t used an app or account in months, is it worth keeping if it may still be collecting and sharing your data?

Making informed decisions helps shift control back into your hands.

Adjust Privacy Settings to Your Comfort Level

Every app, account and device include privacy and security settings - usually found in a Settings or Privacy section. These only take a few minutes to review and adjust.

Set your preferences to a level you’re comfortable with. As a general rule, it’s wise to share less data, not more.

You don’t have to update everything at once. Start small, and over time it becomes a habit. Gradually adjusting settings across your apps, devices and online accounts can significantly reduce unnecessary data sharing.

Want to view or change your privacy or security settings, but don’t know where to find them? Click here for direct links to manage your privacy settings on popular platforms and apps.

Protect Your Data

Data privacy and data security go hand in hand. Along with managing what data you share, it’s critical to protect it. We recommend the following best practices:

1. Use strong passwords
   Create long (at least 12 characters), unique passwords for every account and device. A password manager makes it easy to store and manage them securely.

2. Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA)
   Turn on MFA wherever possible. This adds an extra layer of protection - even if your password is compromised.

3. Keep everything updated
   Enable automatic updates for devices, software and browsers, or install updates as soon as they’re available.

4. Learn to spot phishing attempts
   Phishing messages can arrive via email, text or direct message. Knowing how to identify them can prevent costly data breaches.

The Goal of Data Privacy Week

Data Privacy Week is about awareness, empowerment and action. Its mission is twofold:

• To help individuals understand they have the power to manage their personal data

• To encourage organizations to respect user privacy and be transparent about data practices

You can’t completely lock down your data - but you can take meaningful steps to manage it and control who has access to your information.

This Data Privacy Week, take a moment to review your settings, question what you share and protect what matters most.

Your data has value. Take control of it.