I here give you 10 impacts of the Snowden leaks.

Almost every day another news story breaks about revelations made by Edward Snowden related to systematic spying in one country or another at some level and typically involving the collection of meta-data from mobile and other IT-related devices. These revelations are already having a number of impacts related to legal reform, our perceptions of privacy and even a decline in the level of trust within society itself.

READ Edward Snowden: Traitor or hero?

Here follows my list of 10 impacts flowing from the Snowden leaks.

1. People are more on guard and taking more precautions in terms of security. One beneficial outcome of the Snowden leaks is that it highlights, for organizations and individuals, the importance of security. As a result, both government and private sector organizations have been jolted into reviewing their security systems. This has involved a review of policies, procedures and other solutions. For example, there has been a significant upturn in the use of powerful encryption codes to protect messages.

2. The importance of checks and balances in information gathering. People are realizing more than ever, the important role played by checks and balances in any system of security. In the case of the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA), the various searches were supposedly authorized by court order and subject to court review. Many are now calling into question the rigor and effectiveness of that review. It is also a good example of how a particular agency, in any government, can develop a culture and law unto itself.

To avoid the abuse of such power, all agencies should be regularly and rigorously reviewed with checks and balances in place as to prevent abuse of power and an agency going beyond its designated purpose. The NSA was an agency designed to gather internal data for specific purposes and yet a considerable amount of its efforts were focused on gathering internal data on U.S. citizens.

3. A revaluation of privacy expectations. The Snowden case illustrates how invasive modern technology has been on our privacy. Indeed, for many there is now very little expectation of privacy in relation to phone calls and any other use of technology. There may, however, be significant generational differences on this issue. For teenagers born in the digital age and used to sharing most aspects of their lives via various social media platforms, perhaps privacy is not as much valued as it used to be.

Clearly, in light of Snowden, there needs to be a renewed dialogue about the values and importance of privacy in our lives and how that privacy expectation and need can best be met.

4. Countries will tighten laws and penalties will increase in relation to privacy breaches. One can already see in several U.S. states (e.g. California) and in the EU a desire to strengthen privacy protection. This will include more restrictions on and disclosures in relation to the use of personal data. These legal reforms will also lead to more potent remedies (damages, public shaming, court orders, etc.) in relation to privacy breaches. Given the increased data flows across national borders, we are also likely to see an increased international cooperation regarding both privacy protection and enforcement.

5. Privacy protection can be good for business. Businesses are becoming more responsive to their customers and are using privacy protection as a source of competitive advantage to attract consumers.

The reverse is also true, i.e. a failure to protect data can lead to a negative business outcome. There are some reports that, following Snowden, foreign companies and overseas consumers have become more wary of doing business with U.S. companies, suspecting that the NSA has backdoor access to many software programs used by such companies.

6. Privacy concerns in relation to cloud computing. Cloud computing has been growing exponentially. One negative outcome of the Snowden affair is that a number of organizations and individuals have developed a greater apprehension towards the cloud computing context and worry about privacy protection in such an environment.

7. Concerns about big data. People may similarly be more wary of the potential misuse of big data analytics. The reality is that human beings tend to display very predictable behavior. By tracking the meta-data and other information of an individual, it is possible to exert a certain degree of control and monitoring heretofore impossible; with that level of control and monitoring also comes the potential for misuse.

8. Revaluating our relationship to technology. Not only does the Snowden scandal call into question our expectations about privacy; on a wider level, it also leads to questions about our relationship to technology. For some, the Snowden disclosures may result in a chilling effect on the use of technology in general. It certainly reminds us of the embedded challenge for both legal and regulatory systems to keep up with (and anticipate) the impact and possible abuse of new technologies.

9. Digital divides. The Snowden revelations also point to the imbalance in technology capacity between different countries. The so-called digital divide is a real problem that also needs to be addressed.

10. Diminution of trust. On a final 10th note then, and perhaps the most worrying aspect of the Snowden affair, follows a loss of innocence regarding individual privacy and a corresponding decline in trust at all levels in society. Countries may be less likely to trust one another; organizations will be more reluctant to exchange data. Individuals will be more cautious in giving out their personal information; and organizations will be more wary of hiring individuals on a contract basis or of outsourcing. There will surely be increased security checks on the people hired.

The author is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/eugeneclark.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn

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