Question

In their attempt to leverage data on their users, firms are using a variety of techniques to best target their products/services to prospective customers. Such initiatives could impact the privacy of customers by being too intrusive. What can customers do about such intrusions? What can firms do to alleviate such concerns?

Answer 1

Answer)
Privacy of an individual's data and security of the data is the right of every individual. While firms today are trying to collect, analyze and process the data and trying to leverage and use the collected data on the users, the firms are using many techniques which are with or without knowledge of the users and thus are trying to target the customers for a better experience to them and also trying to convert them into buying or paid customers giving them offers and lucrative deals in most cases. Thus the firms are using the data to target the products/services to prospective customers. In many such cases, the privacy of customers is impacted when the firms are being too intrusive using the techniques to target the customers.
The customers can be wary of the processes which are used by the companies and firms and the amount of data collected by them. Many firms and companies let you see that data online. Users and customers can go and check the data, delete, and be careful with sharing the data with the firms. They can browse and operate privately such that only a limited amount of data get to the firms. Thus users should keep a check on the amount of the data which can get to the firms.
The firms also can take necessary actions to alleviate such concerns and also to handle customer privacy and security concerns over the techniques used for data collection and processing. Data collected should be kept safe and secure and private data should be kept in check and should be anonymous, encryption should be there and also such data should be collected with the declaration of the customers only.