Technologists often use the myth of Pandora’s box to demonstrate how a single wrong decision can lead to numerous harms and calamities. Online data privacy perfectly illustrates this: once personal data is exposed, it becomes nearly impossible to contain it again.

As UX designers, safeguarding users’ privacy is vital since the repercussions of losing it can be far-reaching. The nature of digital products, algorithms, and AI is generative, recursive, and seemingly infinite.

Exposed private information can be used to harm the victim in new and unexpected ways.

Protecting one’s data and privacy is imperative to prevent a cascade of potentially endless misfortunes. To illustrate this, there is a not-so-popular version of how the story of Pandora went down. Let’s explore it.

Justice for Pandora

Imagine two Greek characters. One is called Pandora, meaning “All-gifted,” and the other is Epimetheus, which means “Afterthought.” Who would most likely disobey the Gods and foolishly release all evils known to mankind? Pandora or Mr. Afterthought?

“All-gifted” was crafted by gods and received every divine gift you can imagine: Beauty, curiosity, musical ability, bravery, strength, charm, and skill. On paper, she is the ultimate Mary Sue until she gets one last gift from Zeus: a giant jar, right next to a steaming bowl of foreshadowing.

On the other hand, “Afterthought,” also known as the “Titan of Excuses,” comes from a problematic family. His brother, “Forethought,” AKA Prometheus, is facing a life sentence for going against divine orders and single-handedly causing global warming by bringing fire to humans. Prometheus was considered the smart one, and Epimetheus is the ancient Greek equivalent of Stephen Baldwin.

Opposites attract. Epimetheus falls in love with Pandora, considering her the most beautiful woman in the world. According to Greek mythology, he is not statistically wrong because she was the first woman. Pandora likes “bad boys” and thought she would turn Epimetheus around. They both swiped right, and things heated up from there.