Every time you interact with a website, search engine or app, you are revealing information about yourself and your identity. Sometimes this data is obvious and under your direct control (i.e. posting a photo or entering text into a form on a website) and sometimes it is hidden (like location metadata in a photo file, or seemingly disconnected internet searches that can be combined in bulk to reveal your identity and daily habits).
This workshop defines and explores various types of data that are commonly shared and collected online. Participants will have the opportunity to talk openly about data concerns, explore how it is possible to profile a person based only on a typical browser history, and take control by denying unnecessary app permissions on their smartphones.
Participants will leave with:
- A broad understanding of what constitutes data in digital information systems
- Insight into how data can reveal personal details even if it is seemingly anonymous
- Experience decoding data exposed in a browser history sample to determine facts about the identity of a person
- Actions they can take to reduce the amount of personal data they reveal to apps
Date and time: Thursday, January 29, 12 - 1 pm ET
Location: Online via Zoom (registrants will receive a link via email)
Instructors: Julia Martyniuk, Liaison and Education Librarian, Gerstein Science Information Centre, julia.martyniuk@utoronto.ca; Nick Field, Data Support Specialist, Map & Data Library, nicholas.field@utoronto.ca
This workshop is part of the U of T Libraries Data Detox Week, happening January 26-30, 2026. It uses material created for the Data Detox Kit by Tactical Tech, an international NGO that engages with citizens and civil-society organizations to explore and mitigate the impacts of technology on society.