EXPRESSED HIS INTENTION TO BAN
CHINESE-OWNED APPS ... LIKE
TIK-TOK AND WE-CHAT ... FROM THE
UNITED STATES IN ORDER TO
PROTECT AMERICANS FROM DATA
MINING. BUT HOW SERIOUS IS DATA
MINING, AND WHAT ARE SOME WAYS
YOU CAN PROTECT YOURSELF FROM
IT?
DATA MINING INVOLVES THE
COLLECTION, STORAGE AND
PROCESSING OF LARGE SETS OF DATA
IN ORDER TO SPOT PATTERNS. ONCE
IDENTIFIED, THESE PATTERNS CAN
BE USED BY COMPANIES TO BETTER
UNDERSTAND TRENDS IN PURCHASING
BEHAVIOR ... HELP BANKS DETECT
FRAUDULENT CREDIT CARD
TRANSACTIONS ... OR EVEN AID IN
THE DETECTION OF MONEY
LAUNDERING OR OTHER CRIMINAL
ACTIVITIES. HOWEVER ... SOME
ARGUE THAT THE USE OF DATA
MINING IS AN INVASION OF
CUSTOMER PRIVACY. PERSONAL
INFORMATION ... LIKE SOCIAL
SECURITY NUMBERS ... MAY BECOME
VULNERABLE TO HACKING, IDENTITY
THEFT, OR OTHER UNETHICAL
BEHAVIORS. JUSTIN PATCHIN, AN
EXPERT IN SOCIAL NETWORKING WITH
U-W-EAU CLAIRE, SAYS DATA MINING
IS VIRTUALLY UNAVOIDABLE.




"Any website you use, any game
you play, social media app --
particularly if it's free --
you're giving up your
information by utilizing that
platform."
PATCHIN SAYS THE BEST WAY TO
AVOID SOCIAL MEDIA DATA MINING
IS TO AVOID SOCIAL MEDIA
ALTOGETHER. STILL -- OTHER
BUSINESSES WILL HAVE YOUR
INFORMATION IN ONE FORM OR
ANOTHER. WHEN IT COMES TO
TIKTOK, PATCHIN SAYS USERS CAN
LIMIT THEIR DATA SHARING BY
SIMPLY VIEWING VIDEOS, RATHER
