Personal data protection has become a burning topic lately in light of the recent scandalous leaks and outright sale of data by some social media platforms to third parties. Personal data has become a new currency. Online platforms-social, retail, etc.-do targeted advertising based on the personal data they collect from their users.  However, changes are happening putting people in control of their online identity and personal data. As of the end of April, for example, iPhone and iPad users got a simple yet powerful new way to control how their data is used:  pop-ups in apps will ask the user if they want to allow the app "to track your activity across other companies' apps and websites". Google is planning to ban third-party cookies that ad companies use to track us around the Internet and build our profiles. These are the new ways of controlling how the data is shared, but not the only ones.

Riding the data-protection wave is Liquid Avatar Technologies, a Canadian company that has devised an innovative and potent utility to empower users to manage the data that a person is willing to share with third parties. The control is exercised through a Liquid Avatar-a visual icon that supports verifiable credentials which can be customized and shared at will through their proprietary platform. Avatars allow an individual to have multiple icons-each for a separate persona or facet of their personality that one may choose for a particular occasion such as work, social, gaming or sports. At no cost, users obtain self-sovereign identity that they can use to manage and control their credentials, potentially using it to prove their vaccination and other healthcare records, alongside additional information as required for any particular use.  Liquid Avatar has become possible thanks to blockchain technology, the impenetrable chain of digitally verified contracts that forms the foundation of all cryptocurrencies. Tech entrepreneur David Lucatch, the founder of Liquid Avatar Technologies Inc., spotted the opportunity that blockchain technology offers in personal data management and protection and has put it to good use.

We habitually agree to share our personal data to the extent we would usually never share with a stranger when interacting with companies online via websites and apps. When we register using an app or make an online purchase, we generously and more often than not unwittingly divulge a wealth of data and personal information.  For recipient businesses, access to our data results in growing their business and more significant profits through the monetization of that information. For individuals, it means surrendering part of their personal freedom and value. To make things worse, until recently, there has barely been any legislation protecting personal data.

With the Liquid Avatar Mobile App, one can receive, manage, and share a host of verifiable credentials. Through the built-in biometric validation, only you, and in the future, a designated individual (for minors, estate, and healthcare management) will have access to personal information, credentials, wallets, and Liquid Avatar images. To maximize protection, the Liquid Avatar Mobile App uses cloud-based biometric verification so that even if your smartphone or tablet is lost or compromised, your data is safe and under your control.

Liquid Avatar puts one in full control of private information and makes it possible to manage public information and help minimize the risk of identity fraud. To get your personal data protected with this new tool, simply download the Liquid Avatar Mobile App through the App Store and Google Play. To come to know Liquid Avatar's full capacity, visit their website.