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Data and Society 9-12 / Week 03 / Mission Quest
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Week 03 · Ask First: Consent and Privacy

Mission Quest

Mission Quest: Keep it or share it?
// What the crew never collects, and how it asks before it collects
⏱ about 20 min

Mission Quest: Keep It or Share It?

On Saturday the crew sits around a table at the Commons with a stack of blank cards.

Comet writes a word on each card. "Phone number. Favorite color. Home street. Favorite season."

"No real numbers or streets," Wren reminds her. "Just the name of each kind of information."

Comet nods and keeps writing. "Then we sort them. Keep private, or fine to share?"

Nova hovers over the stack. "Would you like a hint?" she asks. "Ask whether each card could point to one person."

Wren deals half the cards to you. "Data analyst, sort these with your family."

  1. PII is information that identifies, links, relates to or describes a person, such as phone numbers, medical information or biometric data.
  2. Collect only what your question needs, and ask before you collect.
  3. Hidden, automatic collection can raise privacy concerns.
  4. Scattered bits of personal data can be combined to learn about one person.
  5. Users can control what programs collect, and they should review permission settings.
◇ KEEP IT OR SHARE IT?
You need eight small cards or scraps of paper and a pencil.
Copy the eight card labels from the table below, one label on each card.
Write only the kind of information. Never write a real phone number, name, street or any other real detail.
With a family member, sort the cards into two piles: keep private and fine to share.
For each card, say why it goes in its pile. Ask: could this point to one person?
Talk about one kind of information your family keeps private, and why.
Card labels to copyCard labels to copy
Phone numberHome street
NameFavorite color
Medical informationFavorite season
Biometric dataNumber of books on a shelf
For a grown-up
Ask: which cards could point to one person? Which could not, on their own?
Ask: what does our family keep private, and who is it okay to share it with?
If you like, you could review the permission settings on a family device together, with you leading. This is optional.
QUEST CHECK
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
The card says "phone number." Which pile?
The card says "medical information." Which pile?
The card says "home street." Should it ever go on a data sheet?
What did you write on each card?
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