Private customer data often includes a liability, but not for the reasons that OP states. The liability is that companies have an ongoing obligation to their c

Private customer data often includes a liability, but not for the reasons that OP states. The liability is that companies have an ongoing obligation to their customers to protect their private data. However, a lot of data does not have this liability. If it gets published to the world, it wouldn't matter. This article portrays a common misunderstanding of the accounting terms liability and asset. Just because something has a cost to maintain, it does not make it a liability. Code is an asset. Data is an asset. Businesses do not value assets at their cost, as the article represents, but in their future economic value. Asset: "Things that are resources owned by a company and which have future economic value that can be measured and can be expressed in dollars. Examples include cash, investments, accounts receivable, inventory, supplies, land, buildings, equipment, and vehicles." Liability: "Obligations of a company or organization. Amounts owed to lenders and suppliers. Liabilities often have the word "payable" in the account title. Liabilities also include amounts received in advance for a future sale or for a future service to be performed."