Data privacy at ASU
To learn more about what information Arizona State University collects, how it is (and is not) shared, and your rights as a data subject, please see ASU’s Privacy Statement.
ASU’s distributed model ensures that privacy is everyone’s responsibility. ASU Enterprise Technology’s Governance Program works across the ASU community to establish standards and protections for those who share their data with ASU, with a “Privacy for All” approach that centers on the individual.
The Enterprise Technology Governance Program assists the University in many types of technology-related privacy issues.
- Privacy by Design
A consultation to incorporate privacy principles into the development of new processes and technologies.
- Data Subject Rights Requests
Providing support to users expressing their data preferences.
- Regulatory Alignment
Harmonizing how ASU uses data with the myriad privacy regulations in place.
- Privacy Impact Analysis
A deep-dive into the privacy implications of an existing product, service, project, or novel use of data.
- On-demand consultations
For any other privacy questions, concerns, or suggestions related to ASU technology.
Please contact us for privacy-related questions at privacy@asu.edu.
What is privacy and why is it important?
What is privacy?
Privacy is a term that means different things to different people. One of the first and most famous definitions of privacy from 1890 is “a right to be let alone.” A more current concept of data privacy specifically is an individual’s ability to choose how information about them is used, and by whom. From this perspective, data privacy is the individual’s ability to make an informed choice about their data.
Data privacy vs. data security
Data privacy and security are often seen as two sides of the same coin. Data security is the protection of data, generally from malicious attacks and exploitation, in the way that a lock on one’s front door provides physical security from unwanted visitors.
Data privacy is the set of practices, policies, regulations, and other methods used to ensure data that are collected are used appropriately, and to respect the data subject’s choices on how they are used. Rather than focusing on malicious or intentional acts, privacy helps to ensure that data are used in a way that is expected and reasonable. Data privacy is less like a lock on the door to keep out intruders, but more like the ability to choose to invite a friend over for dinner, without the expectation of feeding the entire neighborhood, or that the friend will move in permanently.
Why is data privacy important?
With so much of our daily lives conducted on and through the internet, personal information is generated by almost everything we do. From geolocation, to internet browsing history, to applying for a loan, data are created, stored, and shared about nearly every aspect of our lives. All of this information is used in many different ways, some of which may be helpful, and some which may be harmful, even when the individual isn’t aware of it.
Many regulations aim to protect individual privacy, and prevent harmful uses of personal data. These regulations are often specific to types of data or organizations – like the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) – or they may be specific to location, like Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The complex and sometimes confusing world of privacy regulations helps to ensure that data are used in the right ways and shared for the right reasons, and allows data subjects to express their choices.
