4 Processes to Overhaul in the New Year

2020 was the year that upended everything, from how we worked to how we live and interact with one another. While we’re eager to let last year remain in the past, its chaos has given us ample opportunity to adapt. What used to work might not anymore in this “new normal,” and that’s why overhauling our processes is so important. In lean times, efficient processes are vital.

Some businesses are adapting to a completely remote or hybridized structure. Others are coping with reduced employee and customer capacities — if they remain open at all. No matter where you and your team are working, here are a few areas to consider overhauling this year.

1. Staff Education and Training

Onboarding new hires can be daunting, especially with so many people working remotely. This is also true for continued education and training for employees who have already made it past orientation. Consider leveraging digital tools like a corporate wiki to streamline your company’s education process.

Corporate wikis are useful tools that can store tons of reference information. This can include job descriptions and responsibilities, org charts, templates, and training manuals, just to name a few. When properly maintained and written clearly and concisely, corporate wikis can expedite your onboarding process while minimizing paper waste. You’ll no longer have to worry about updating or losing weighty instruction manuals when all that information lives online.

You can also link wiki pages to one another, making navigation a breeze. By linking relevant information, embedding files and videos, and updating material regularly, the wiki can grow and adapt alongside your business. Best of all, since it’s all digitized, it can be easily shared with anyone in your company no matter where they’re located.

2. Communication and File Sharing

In a similar vein, file sharing and communication are also important processes to update. While communication is less its own workflow, it plays a supporting role in everything your company does. With so many businesses spread thin, fine-tuning how your team communicates remotely is something you’ll want to do.

There are a few tools to consider using depending on the nature of your work. For instance, workplace messaging apps like Slack can let your team communicate in real time instead of relying on asynchronous email. Zoom, Google Hangouts, and other video conferencing applications can humanize remote meetings, letting people talk face to face. Of course, you can still rely on phones, texting, and email if you prefer.

Besides communication, it’s just as important to maintain a shared digital space to store and provide access to files. You can create templates and folders and establish filing systems in tools like Google Drive or Dropbox. Instead of having to dig through old emails, you can use these digital drives to keep documents organized and restrict access to those who need it. For example, the marketing department doesn’t need access to payroll information. 

By overhauling the way your teams communicate and share information, you’ll save time and money otherwise lost to inefficiency. 

3. Project Management

In addition to ongoing communication, project management is the next workflow you should revisit, especially if your team is still working remotely. As the old saying goes, “What gets measured gets managed.” Utilize project management software to assign tasks, track progress, and coordinate teams to ensure speed, accountability, and clarity.

Most project management software includes daily or weekly lists of tasks for all team members so they know their assignments. By looking at project timelines, managers can identify bottlenecks, such as when team members are waiting on information or struggling to complete tasks. 

Does that struggle stem from a lack of resources? If so, a project management tool will make that clear. Is more team collaboration necessary? Project management solutions facilitate collaboration by making all team members aware of outstanding tasks and project dependencies. Even as teams move back into the office, these tools can promote efficiency and accountability throughout your organization.

Yet digital project management methods are probably most financially beneficial when they’re enabling remote work. After all, the less office space your company needs, the fewer overhead costs like rent, utilities, and equipment you’ll have. Minimizing project creep and bottlenecks isn’t the only way that optimizing the management workflow can increase your bottom line.

4. Client Prospecting and Sales

While saving money is nice, finding ways to make more of it is even nicer. Enter sales. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has had an obvious impact in this area, too. Instead of in-person meetings and business lunches, more sales prospecting and client meet-ups are happening online. The good thing is, customers like the change.

A McKinsey report reveals that over three-quarters of B2B buyers prefer remote interaction and digital self-service to face-to-face engagement. And not just because of Covid safety. Customers can find needed info, place orders, and request service more quickly and conveniently via online channels than through in-person interactions. This preference is unlikely to change even after the pandemic wanes.

So double down on the remote sales outreach you’ve already been doing. Video and live chat are proving to be two great ways for sales teams to educate prospects and close deals. These remote methods provide the human touch while also catering to the convenience of your potential customers. The fact that your team won’t have to resume expensive business travel when Covid passes is a bonus.

Regardless of the pandemic, as your market changes, so too must your strategies to stand out and attract customers. Consider the following when revisiting your prospecting and sales processes: What have you been doing well that’s maintained or improved your business’s performance? What processes are outdated and no longer effective? Are there any new market segments that might be interested in your product that you can now reach through digital means?

The Way Ahead

2020 has given companies the opportunity to reinvent themselves. Are there demands caused by the pandemic your business can better fill? 

Rather than focusing on the product or service you’re selling, focus in on your prospects’ pain points. Listening to their needs and preferences will enable you to tailor your offering to their requirements and increase customer satisfaction. 

2021 challenges businesses to find ways to remain relevant in the new normal. By overhauling these four processes, you’ll increase your chances of success in the year ahead.

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5 Great Things About the Digital Date

2020 was the pandemic year, the year where nothing seemed to make sense. Virtually everything changed, and that included dating. In 2021, Covid-19 is still around, and it probably will be for several more months until we can eradicate it.

If you’re single, you might feel like that’s bad news. You can’t meet someone in-person for cocktails or go to a movie with them, and you might feel lonely because of that. You might miss physical intimacy, especially if you live alone.

The situation is not ideal, but just because you can’t meet up with your crush in-person, that doesn’t mean your dating life is dead in the water. You can still go on an online or “digital date.” There are several reasons why digital dating can work for you, so let’s cover some of those now.

You Can’t Contract an STD

Photo by Edward Jenner from Pexels

If you can’t meet someone in-person, you can’t have sex with them, right? Well, that might be technically accurate, but there are still things you can do with the person if you feel like you’re hitting it off. You might:

• Perform an erotic striptease
• Show them your favorite tattoo that clothing usually covers  

If you’re dating someone from behind your smartphone or your laptop’s camera, you can still get sexual with them if you want to, but there’s no STD risk. The World Health Organization states that about 67% of the world’s population under age 50 is HSV-1-positive, so digital dating is safer in that respect. HSV-1 is a herpes virus strain.

If you keep things behind the camera rather than meeting in-person, you might not have the same intimacy, but it might be better that way, at least in the early going. Also, when the pandemic is over, if you finally meet up with this person for the first time, it will be all the more special when it happens.

You Can Show Them an Intimate Life Portrait

Photo by Ekaterina Bolovtsova from Pexels

You might feel like dating from your apartment when your crush is halfway across town might not work so well, especially if your apartment or house is a wreck. However, if you know you have a date coming up:

• That can incentivize cleaning your residence
• You can show this person your home, which can tell them a lot about you

If you have never met this person in the flesh before, they might see your dating app profile, but this is their first chance to really get to know you. They might get an impression if you meet them for coffee somewhere, but it’s far more intimate if they can see your bedroom or living room behind you.

They might ask about your Japanese art, and you can tell them about your Tokyo trip. Maybe they spot your action figure collection, and you can talk to them about that.

At the same time, you can definitely learn a lot about them from what you see around them. Just be sure your camera does not show anything you’re not ready for them to see.

You Have a Buffer if the Date Doesn’t Work Out

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

Every single person probably has that nightmare date story. You met a person for dinner, and they droned on about their toenail fungus or their deranged Uncle Harold.

The digital date is excellent because if that’s your first encounter, you can quickly back out if you feel like things aren’t working. You can tell them your neighbor’s apartment is on fire and excuse yourself with no harm done.

You don’t need to hug them goodbye or awkwardly slip out of the restaurant when they’re in the bathroom. You can just turn off the camera and try to locate someone more suitable next time.

You Can Introduce Them to Your Pets

Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich from Pexels

If you’re going to meet in-person, you might decide you’re not ready for a one-on-one encounter. You can bring friends along and suggest your crush does the same. That takes a lot of the pressure away.

If you’re doing digital dating, you can have your pets provide that same distraction. If you’re an animal person, you can introduce your dog, cat, or ferret, and then watch your date’s reaction.

If they can’t stop talking about how cute your Labradoodle is, you’re in good shape. If you can tell they want nothing to do with your furry friend, that’s a red flag that the two of you were not going to work out, either in-person or online.

You Can Show Off Your Cooking Skills

Photo by Ekaterina Bolovtsova from Pexels

Maybe you have some superior cooking talents, and you want a chance to show them off. You can cook your best dishes and spread them out so your admirer can get a look at them.

If they have culinary skills as well, you might good-naturedly challenge them to a cook-off. You can suggest they make their best dishes as well, and you can get a look at the spread they lay out.

You won’t be able to sample these delicacies yet, but each of you can get some idea of what the other person brings to the table. If neither of you can do much more than add milk to cereal, you might show off another talent instead. Maybe you can play an instrument, or your crush can show off some of their dance moves.

Even from a distance, you can probably tell whether you have a connection with someone or not. You might date for months this way without ever seeing one another face to face.

When the pandemic is over, and you can meet up, you might feel like you know each other so well at that point. You may have shared dozens of digital dates by then, and all the pressure and awkwardness will be gone.

Covid-19 has made many things difficult, but that does not mean you have to shelve your love life completely. You can still meet people and try to connect with them, and someday you can probably have that long-anticipated meetup.  

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Out of the Way Holiday Ideas in Thailand for 2021

We are all more than happy to see the end of 2020 and it looks like we have almost beaten the Coronavirus, which means travel will be on the menu and there’s no better destination than the Royal Kingdom of Thailand. Most of us have experienced Thailand from a beach resort perspective, yet there are other options out there and with that in mind, here are a few unique holidays that you can book in the Land of Smiles.

• Farming Homestays – You could live with a southern Thai fishing family, or find out how the rice farmer in central Thailand lives and with a Google search, you can find the website of a Thai tour operator that offers traditional homestay holiday experiences. This is much more than a holiday, as you get to experience strange food and a way of life that is rooted to nature, while interacting with the local people and helping them with their work. If you are adventurous and would like to experience a completely different culture, then this is the holiday for you. The Thai rice farmers are to be found in Korat and the Isaan provinces of Buriram and Sisaket, where they grow the finest Jasmine rice along with sugar cane. Not many people know about this type of holiday and a Google search for ‘homestay holidays in Thailand’ should yield results.
• National Parks – There are 147 national parks in Thailand and if you would like to relax in complete luxury, you can book a 5-Star Hotel in Khao Lak, one of the most popular national parks set in the southern province of Phang Gna. Lush forests, limestone cliffs and stunning beaches all await the tourist who stays in one of the many national parks, with a diverse range of flora and fauna and unique wildlife. Once you arrive at the resort, you are surrounded by natural beauty and your luxury accommodation has free Wi-Fi to keep you in touch with the outside world, while you relax in a gorgeous natural setting. Khao Yai is one of the premier national parks in Thailand and is only a couple of hours from Bangkok, making it a popular choice for Bangkokians, especially at weekends.
• The Hilltribe People – You can live with the Karen and Hmong people and marvel at the long-necked women, while immersing yourself in a colourful culture that cannot be found anywhere else. If you trek from Chiang Mai, north, you will rise to a height of 2,500m and enjoy the hills and valleys that are farmed by the hilltribes. Trekking has long been popular in Chiang Rai, where you can hire a local guide to take you into the remote forest regions and there are several national parks where you can stay in 5-star luxury. If you travel from November to March, this is the cool season and on mountains, the temperature can drop to almost freezing, while the months of April and May are very hot and the monsoons begin at this time.
• Houseboat Holiday – Imagine a lake with glass-like stillness, nestled in a tropical paradise and in the centre of the lake sits a traditional Thai teak houseboat, with all the mod cons for comfortable living. The province of Kanchanaburi hosts a few large lakes and a river where you can rent floating homes of all styles and sizes, with party rafts a specialty. Once you have sampled this type of holiday, you will be back again one day, as there is nothing else quite like a floating holiday. There are obviously many benefits to international travel, which broadens the mind.
• Buddhist Retreat – Thailand is 98% Buddhist and is the home for many spiritual retreats and wellness centres and if you would like to explore the inner self, there are some stunning retreats that exude calmness and serenity and with expert instructors, you can explore the meaning of life. A Google search will bring up a long list of resorts and retreats that offer a unique experience and you can book online and prepare for a truly unique experience. You might not want to explore Buddhism, as such, rather explore your spiritual self without any labels, which is a very popular way to spend your downtime. Check out the list online and find out more about the activities and local attractions.

Thailand has lot more to offer the tourist than white beaches and clear blue seas and the above are just a few ways that you can experience the royal kingdom of Thailand. You are strongly advised to check the current Covid-19 status in Thailand before making any bookings, as there might be travel restrictions from your home country.

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How Virtual Technology is Changing the Shape of Travel & Business

If you look at a graph showing technologic development for the past 100 years, you will see a sharp spike that started in the 1960s and has never really stopped until today. The arrival of the Internet saw digital tech blooming and in the past 10 years, the virtual world has become an integral aspect of online communication. The arrival of Covid saw a rise in the number of businesses that began to offer virtual services, indeed, there are many services you can receive via a Zoom call, with the healthcare sector leading the way.

Virtual Services

The list of virtual services is indeed long and includes:

• Healthcare – Doctors and counsellors offer virtual examinations, which is often enough for the medical professional to make an accurate diagnosis. Mental health counsellors and addiction support groups all meet virtually during the pandemic and remote healthcare is an essential aspect at the current time. Elderly people who do not require daily care can interact with their care-giver via a Zoom call at the end of the day, so the carer can assess the patient’s overall condition.
• Resorts & Hotels – When you visit a website such as https://www.fairmont-maldives.com/, you can enjoy a virtual tour of the tiny island on which the bungalows are situated and more and more resorts are using virtual tour technology on their website, which really does allow the guest to experience the venue in a virtual sense. The Maldives is an ideal place to go after the pandemic, but book early to avoid disappointment, as this is a very popular holiday destination.
• Fitness, Yoga & Pilates – Due to the current pandemic, you can register for a virtual course, where you use Zoom to interact with the instructor and the other students. As the instructor is remotely located, you only need some space, a laptop and a stable Internet connection, plus online courses are cheaper, as the provider has minimal outgoings for a Virtual session. You can even hire a virtual personal trainer, who will call you via Zoom at the agreed time and they will guide you through your workout routine. Here are a few ways that video can boost your business, if you run your own company.
• Legal Services – Many law firms now offer virtual consultations and with a video call and file sharing, it is possible to conclude legal transactions and receive professional advice, which we often require in a business situation. You can set up a company or file for divorce with virtual online legal services and even write a Last Will & Testament via a Zoom call.
• Consultancy – Consultants in many sectors have switched to virtual communication, which allows the professional to advise accordingly, with regular video conference calls, as opposed to face-to-face meetings. Business advisory services are working as normal, scheduling Zoom calls with their clients, indeed, many are working from home, due to the Covid crisis. Boat builders and designers have video calls with the client, when they show them models they have created and thanks to VoIP solutions, the client can be on the other side of the world.
• Real Estate – If you are search online for a suitable property, it is likely you can take an online virtual tour of the house, both inside and out. This is a great way to create a shortlist of properties to physically view and most real estate agents offer virtual tour facilities on their website. This is done using a very expensive video camera and a skilled operator who walks through the property, filming from many different angles, then state of the art software collects all the footage and allows a remote user to virtually explore the property.
• Working Remotely – There are many people who are now working from home, thanks to the pandemic and they receive their assignments in an email and would likely have to have at least one Zoom call a day with their boss. Teachers are mainly teaching from home, with all their students also at their homes, eliminating all human contact, which is the best way to school the children until the pandemic is over.
• Online Sales – Using Facebook Live, it is easy to lay out many household items, with price labels and when you make a sale, the customer wires you the money and you ship the goods, it’s as simple as that. There are some very successful Facebook Live sellers, with products such as kids clothing, collector’s items and general household appliances and rather than risk going to a local community sale, you can search out bargains online from sellers who use livestreaming.

As we move into 2021, virtual technology will continue to aid us in the fight against the pandemic and many people will still use virtual online services, even when the pandemic is over.

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How To Monetize Different Types Of e-Learning Apps

There are a range of different types of educational apps that are in use within the educational technology (EdTech) sector, whether for kindergarten-aged children or for adult education. But how to develop an educational app and successfully monetize it remains is something that all education app development has to take into account. So, what needs to be looked at?

The basics

Successfully monetizing an education app has, in many respects, exactly the same challenges and has to answer the same questions as every other type of app whose end-goal is to make money. These include:

• Market identification. What is the particular market that the app intended to serve?
• Need fulfilment. What is the need or requirement that this app will meet? Is this linked to an external requirement (e.g. an external curriculum or a particular set of exams) or is it more generic (e.g. improving skills in languages or arithmetic)?
• App differentiation. What makes this app stand out from the other apps within the sector? What advantages does it offer? What does it do better or more effectively than others?
• Awareness. How will people become aware that this app exists? Is there a specific pre-formed market group to whom it can be advertised (e.g. a mailing list)? Is there a partner with whom a partnership can be formed to promote the app?
• Future development. What is the plan for developing the app in the future? People expect new features and/or updated content in apps as a matter of course. How will this app meet that requirement?
• Security and data protection. What is going on ‘behind the scenes’ to ensure that user data is going to be kept secure? How will data protection legislation be complied with? What about financial information and personal details?

All these aspects need to be considered and satisfactorily answered. Once they have been, then the various methods of how to monetize an educational app can be considered.

How to monetize an app

Educational apps have a special purpose, one that is to aid in the development of skills and gaining of knowledge. However, with the wealth of information that is available today and the diverse, wide range of sources and courses that can be used or taken, working out how to monetize any offering is important.

In essence, monetization involves turning the offering that the app is providing into money: it is providing an economic return on the investment that is made into the development and deployment of the app.

There are a range of different types of monetization methodology that can be incorporated into educational apps development. These can reflect the different underlying pedagogical approach that the educational provider wishes to use. They can include user-focused income generation, such as:

• A subscription model: this is where the user pays for access for a timed period. The subscription provides access to material that is not available through a free version, such as additional learning material, tools, content and so on. It can also be used to provide the user with additional benefits, such as a reduction in course fees or online community membership.
• A course model: this is where the user pays for an individual course of series of courses. Often, an option is provided where the user can pay for access to the course material for the length of the course or for permanent access i.e. allowing access after the course has ended. This latter option normally enables a higher rate to be charged.
• Premium feature access. This basically involves the purchase of an additional feature: for some courses, this includes a physical certificate of course completion or greater interaction with the trainer.
• Download charges. This can monetize some of the offerings on the app by allowing the user to download material from the course in an easily useable manner (e.g. in MSWord, Excel or Adobe PDF format). Normally, this would be linked to a lower course fee with the download then being an ‘optional extra’.

And they can also include provider-focused income generation:

• Advertising: this represents a major opportunity for generating revenue, either by providing advertising space within the app for a third-party or for providing an option for users to pay for removing advertising content.
• Commission charges. Providers can pay to have their material hosted on or provided through the app. This can be particularly useful if a range of courses are being provided as it enables different coaches or authors to use their material while paying for hosting on the platform.
• White-labelling services. This is a specialist area whereby the whole app can be ‘white-labelled’ and a third-party can then in-effect re-sell the service as one that they provide. Whether an educational mobile app would want to go down this route depends on the particular market that is being aimed at – in effect, learners or providers – and what the business model for the firm is.

Summary

There are therefore a range of ways in which education app development can be monetized. A firm or person thinking about an educational mobile app should consider which options they wish to pursue as the answer to the question of how to build or develop the app will vary in order to ensure the requirements are met.

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7 Arguments In Favor Of Renting A Coworking Space In Dubai

Renting a coworking space in Dubai will help you cut down expenses and boost the productivity of your business. A coworking is a large and fully-equipped office rented by several small organizations, startups and individuals. Initially, such a format was particularly popular among IT companies and the representatives of the creative industries. Today, small businesses of nearly any sphere of activity can benefit from sharing a modern and stylish office. In this article, we will analyze the seven primary advantages of coworking that might inspire you to sign a rental contract.

7 Arguments in favor of a Coworking Space

Entrepreneurs, self-employed individuals and remote freelancers appreciate coworking for the following reasons:

• Cost-efficiency. If compared to renting a separate office, coworking spaces are much more budget-friendly. The price of the rental depends on which part of the space you occupy: a table, several tables or a whole corner. You might use the same table every day or choose a new one each time you arrive.
• Flexibility. The owner of the coworking space will not ask you to sign a long-term contract or pay a large sum upfront before moving in. When you decide to move out, you will be able to do so at any moment, without paying a hefty fine for the premature termination of the contract.
• Amenities. Modern coworking spaces are fully furnished and equipped with everything their tenants might need. The services of security guards, receptionists and cleaning are included in the rental price. There is air-conditioning, business-grade Wi-Fi and a professional print station. If you need the assistance of the IT specialists, just call them and they will arrive immediately. For lunch breaks, there is a fridge with a kitchen and a coffee machine. When you want to relax, you can head to the chill-out zone and maybe even have a nap there.
• Location. All coworking spaces can boast of a superb location in a central neighborhood. You and your guests will be able to get there from any part of the city in just a few minutes by car or public transport. The prestigious address will produce a favorable impression on your clients, partners and contractors. By the way, you can invite them to your coworking space for negotiations, presentations and other types of meetings: book a conference room in advance and enjoy full privacy there. When you organize video calls and conferences, your interlocutors will be pleased to see an elegant office design in your background.
• Motivation. When working from home, self-employed people and remote freelancers often tend to procrastinate. They get up late, achieve less and get distracted too often. The atmosphere of a coworking space will encourage them to work harder, stick to the schedule and consistently strive for perfection.
• Communication. You will be surrounded by like-minded people who are just as talented, hard-working and ambitious as you. This might inspire fruitful collaborations and cross-pollination of ideas. You might meet your future partners, contractors, investors or clients right in your coworking.
• Events. Most coworking owners organize private events exclusively for their tenants. These might be lectures, workshops, seminars, movie nights, brunches, trainings and so on. It will be your chance to get to know the other tenants better, to acquire new skills and knowledge and to have fun.

ThePlace specialists will help you to find a beautiful and functional coworking space in Dubai in the shortest time and at an affordable price. Other types of office rentals are available too: private offices, event spaces and so on. Thanks to an excellent premise, you will be able to expand your client base, improve your brand awareness. boost your sales and maximize your profit.

Advantages of Renting a Coworking Space in Dubai with ThePlace

This company knows the city inside out and can offer its clients the most lucrative rental conditions. You can be sure that the owner of the premise will not ask you to move out unexpectedly because the coworking spaces were created with long-term rentals in mind. But at the same time, their tenants have a right to rent them just for a couple of months, to see how it works. If you decide to rent a larger part of the coworking space or to move to another location, you will be allowed to do so almost at once.

In a coworking recommended by ThePlace, you will be surrounded by highly professional, proactive and positive-minded people. The staff of the rented premise will be always ready to help you. Fellow tenants will inspire you to work harder and deliver steadily better results. Those people who have already found a top-notch coworking space thanks to ThePlace leave positive reviews about this company and eagerly recommend it to their friends and colleagues.

However, coworking rentals have a few drawbacks too:

• They lack privacy. If your clients are high-fliers who prefer to avoid people’s attention, you should opt for a private office located not in the epicenter of the urban hustle and bustle.
• You will not be allowed to fully customize your office. Most likely, you will be allowed to put a poster on the wall but not repaint this wall to your corporate colors.
• One day, your business might grow too big for a coworking premise. In this case, you will need to move to a private office.

ThePlace will offer you a top-notch selection of private offices of diverse sizes and planning. Feel free to get in touch with the managers of this company right now to discuss your requirements and budget. Most likely, you will be able to move in the next day after signing the contract. You will not need to invest a single cent in upgrading the interior: all the furniture, electric appliances and other amenities will be waiting for you. Your new coworking space or private office will look stunning and will be highly comfortable to work in. The prices for the premises that ThePlace offers and the fees that they take are always kept at a competitive level.

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How Did the Pandemic Influence Our Digital Privacy?

The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly made a significant impact on the way most of us work and spend our free time. It suddenly brought a heap of problems that pushed other issues all the way to the back.

During the pandemic, we faced a tremendous challenge. Is it appropriate to sacrifice your privacy for physical security? Supporters of contact-tracing apps labeled them as a must to stop the spread of COVID-19. However, privacy advocates wanted some more answers, especially after 40% of contact-tracing apps had severe security issues. How will the accumulated data be used? And, more importantly, and the world survives this nightmare, what will happen to the gathered volumes of users’ information?

Digital Privacy: not a priority anymore?

Everyone remembers Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg appearing before Congress due to rising concerns about digital privacy. Namely, during the presidential campaign in 2016, Facebook sold private user data to Trump’s campaign leaders without anyone knowing. Zuckerberg had to pay over $5 billion for privacy violations, but most Americans still felt like they had no control over their own data.

Multiple laws were proposed, some states even implemented their Privacy Acts, and big-tech companies had to adapt to the new situation. Most companies added more privacy data options that allow users to prevent websites from collecting their personal data. Just as things started going in the right direction, the pandemic hit, most political establishments faced an unprecedented problem on a massive scale. With everyone scared for their health and well-being, the issue of digital privacy might have moved as a secondary issue.

The digital world is growing faster than ever before

The pandemic brought a lot of changes to the way we live. Everyone took the situation seriously and did what they can to help stop the spreading of the virus. Restaurants switched only to home deliveries, public transportation became a risk, and most businesses allowed their employees to work from home.

As most people went into lockdown, the internet became their only window into the world. Sure, most of us were online already, but the pandemic has drastically increased the number of daily users and the amount of time they spend online. Zoom, Skype, and other video call apps boomed as companies moved employee interaction online.

While many netizens knew that companies gather their personal data, the tracking might have accelerated during the pandemic. With people spending more time online, they generate more data.

What will the future bring?

While new digital privacy regulations are promising, compliance is something that netizens will have to wait for quite some time. For the most part, people are in charge of their own privacy. Do you read privacy policies and terms of use documents? If these seem tedious tasks, you might not be aware of the tracking or data misuse you agree to. Do you share every detail about your life on social media? Also, are your social media accounts private or public? These questions are great brain teasers that might encourage you to tweak your account settings. Furthermore, minimizing the data available to you is one of the best ways to reduce the chances of doxing or phishing.

Thus, you need to hold your ground and take control of your privacy and security. A VPN for privacy is one of the solutions, giving you the power to fight back. For instance, your ISP might also be continuously accumulating data about your browsing behavior. Cut the cord by encrypting all your web traffic. It will ensure that your ISP (and other third-party entities) won’t have the privilege of keeping tabs on you online.

Thus, let’s be hopeful that in 2021, we will combat the greatest threats to our digital privacy and security. Make such protection your new year’s resolutions. Therefore, try to be more aware and inquisitive about the digital services you use and the websites you visit.

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