data misuse
/ˈdeɪtə ˈmɪsjuːz/ · da·ta mis·use
noun
- Improper, unauthorized, or unethical use of data, especially personal or sensitive information. The company faced a lawsuit after the data misuse of its customers’ credit‑card details.
- A breach of data‑handling policies that results in privacy violations or security risks. Data misuse can occur when employees share confidential files with external partners without clearance.
Synonyms
data abuseinformation misuseprivacy violationdata mishandlingunauthorized data usedata exploitationdata mishapimproper data use
Antonyms
Did you know? The phrase “data misuse” entered mainstream policy discourse after the EU’s 2018 GDPR, which explicitly requires organisations to prevent misuse of personal data.