Humane digital transformation
Digital solutions, human stories – Perspectives from those of us building the future.
Data protection is key to trust
A large-scale public survey on the data economy conducted by Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund, revealed growing concerns among individuals about the collection and use of their data, as well as a conflict between the actions of companies and the needs of individuals. People's need to distinguish between reliable digital services has grown even further. The survey report, which included a total of 8,000 respondents from Finland and three other EU countries, states:
"When people were asked about their concerns regarding individual rights online, the most important issue was clearly the risk of personal data falling into the wrong hands (60%), but many were also concerned about the safety of children on the internet (37%). Concerns about personal data are greater in Finland than elsewhere. Germans, on the other hand, are most concerned about who has access to their data among the countries compared."
Another noteworthy finding in the report is that people do not understand the terms of use for digital services. The terms are too long and the language used is difficult. Less than half of the respondents in the four countries understand the terms of use of applications or services well. Understanding is weakest in Finland.
Data protection as a success factor
Properly designed and implemented data protection is a factor for success. When people know how to use secure digital services and feel confident in doing so, it speeds up transactions for all parties.
In electronic systems, information is stored in digital form for a defined period, which means there is little need at home to print papers or send them by post. This in itself also reduces data protection risks.
What is data protection?
Data protection means the proper processing of personal data in a way that safeguards an individual’s privacy, rights, and legal protection, and prevents data from being used without authorisation.
The City of Tampere takes care of data protection in many ways. The city strives to describe in the terms of use of its various electronic services, in as plain language as possible, how the personal data collected in the services is used. In addition, the city has prepared privacy statements for its personal data registers, which are publicly available on the city's website. Every year, city employees sign a commitment to use data and systems and to maintain their confidentiality. In addition, staff receive regular training to ensure that they know how to handle data securely.
When acquiring new information systems and introducing digital services, the City of Tampere carefully defines its information security requirements and enters into data protection agreements with service providers. Most government services are now accessed using secure Suomi.fi identification. When key systems are introduced, an external auditor also checks the information security of the services.
Tips for safe online transactions
Although the city and public authorities are well prepared, every internet user must still stay alert and recognise attempts at fraud.
Finnish authorities do not send links to their online services, such as the Suomi.fi service, by email or text message. Instead, they send a notification urging you to log in directly to the service yourself. So do not click suspicious links but type the address directly into your browser’s address bar (for example suomi.fi/messages) or use the official app to avoid becoming a victim of phishing.
I recommend using Mobile Certificate as the primary method of authentication for services. It reduces the risk of falling for online scammers’ phishing attempts and losing control of your online banking credentials. Mobile Certificate can already be used to log into more than 20,000 online services.
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