User data in light of Stack Overflow's / Stack Exchange, Inc.'s acquisition

Question

I would like to know how the acquisition impacts our user data, and specifically private user data.

I am aware that a large part of our contributions could be scraped from the outside (or even, queried through public APIs). My concern is not this obviously public information.

I am interested in the fate of already existing non-published data regarding users. This could include such information that users submitted themselves (including, but not necessarily exhausted in e-mail address and full name entered into a private field), or data that was obtained, recorded, and possibly processed during their usage of the platform, and data that is the end-product of aforementioned processing.

I would like to know:

• whether the conditions of the acquisition oblige SO / SE to hand over this data
• if there is no such obligation, whether SO / SE nevertheless plans to hand the data over out of whatever motivation
• if such a data-handover indeed is planned, I would like to know:
  • whether there is a practical possibility for the individual user to stop the handover of data describing them individually
    • could such data handover be tied to the consent of the user?
      • what consequences should the user count with if they do not consent to the handover?
        • would that effectively lead to the destroying of the data describing them?
          • can a user, or any regulation force the deletion of data describing them in lack of a consent?
        • would that mean that they need to stop using the platform?
        • possibly it could be useful to present a storyboard for this scenario, to manage expectations.
  • are there users who could be impacted differently in this regard due to their geographical location — and due to different regulations applying in that location?
  • how does the new owner intend to use this data?
• will you issue entirely new announcements in the future, whenever anything changes regarding these questions?

I ask you to:

• take this question seriously
  • not close this question as a duplicate of any related, but generic one that will not go into depths regarding the topic specific to user data
• address this question to the fullest extent that could help informing (and possibly reassuring?) all those community-members who may share these or alike concerns.

---

Update: request for an adequate answer

The comments under the surprisingly terse answer delivered by @Rosie demonstrate how it is open to several — quite different in their consequeces — interpretations.

I see the possibility that this answer means to involve only the legal aspect of the procedure: it merely informs us that SO is confident to go ahead with handling the data however they see it fit.

This however implies that the answer entirely avoids acknowledging and addressing the user privacy aspect: as in, how Prosus will use data describing us privately, and to whom Prosus may sell this data.

As it happens, I have came across a post from @anildash, in which he stated:

I've seen a lot of companies that are dismissive or uncaring about community, and this isn't one, [...]

I hoped that I did not need to clarify that I expected an answer to my question exactly in the spirit of the above quote.

I, and others in this community are still awaiting that answer.

Answer 1

I fully understand the worries that you and others may be feeling about how private user data may be used and shared with other companies after the acquisition of Stack Overflow by Prosus is completed.

To date, we as a company have always treated maintaining the security and safety of user data as a foundational value in how we architect our sites and interact with the Community. However, in a world where data like this can be a very valuable commodity in its own right, it is natural to inquire as to whether these values will be maintained moving forward.

Last week we had a company-wide AMA where we had the opportunity to pose questions to senior executive leaders within the Prosus EdTech organization. I asked the following question:

Are there plans for Prosus to use private user data from SO/SE and/or share this data with other Prosus-owned companies?

To sum up the answer that I received: “Absolutely not”

I am paraphrasing additional salient points of the response (shared with their approval):

• Data security and privacy is something that Prosus is very careful about for all of its companies.
• They just do not engage in practices like taking data (or anything else) from one company and sending it to another company. This is very much against the spirit of their operations.
• If a request is made of us to share data like this, the expectation from Prosus leadership is that we (Stack Overflow / Community Team) would say “nuh-uh” (direct quote). And we would be supported and backed up in doing so.
• They want to make sure that each of their companies — which encompass many hundreds of millions of users (including school-age users for whom data privacy is even more paramount) — protects their data vigilantly.

I was quite satisfied with this answer and the presentation of their business philosophy as a whole, and at this point have no hesitation at all in saying that I do not feel that the safety of our private user data is compromised or will be compromised by the upcoming acquisition. Thanks for your question!

Answer 2

Prosus also owns OLX, a company that happens to have my home address and phone number.

So this raises the question if previously anonymous SE usage now allows for sharing data with OLX-Prosus whose terms-of-service require users to give PII.