Most internet users want to control how their information is collected and used. In addition, they wish to understand who knows what about them and how they learned it. But on top of that, users even more appreciate their informational privacy and security in the digital world.
Although, some users do not mind giving away their personal information to the service providers to improve functionality. However, most internet users want guarantees about who has the privilege to use personal information and to what extent. That’s why and how the terminologies like “data privacy,” “consent for sharing,” “data abuse,” and “privacy breach” trigger heated debates.
What is online privacy?
Privacy is a concept that has been around for ages, but the advent of the internet and social media has significantly impacted its meaning. Privacy means being alone and not being watched or interrupted by others. However, in today’s digital age, this definition has evolved to encompass protecting personal data and preventing behavior tracking without explicit consent.
When you go online, you leave digital footprints used by various entities to track your behavior, monitor your activity, and collect your data. This intrusion into your online life can leave you feeling exposed and vulnerable. Regardless of whether you are alone when browsing the internet, someone is watching and building your online behavioral profile. This behavioral profile is later used to target you with personalized ads.
Online privacy has two components. The first is an expectation of having your personal information protected, and the second is the inability of internet entities to track and monitor you without explicit consent. This way, you can control how your data is collected, used, and shared by all entities.
What is personal data?
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) defines personal data as any information related to an identifiable living individual. This means that various bits of information when summed up, can result in identifying a specific person and therefore constitute personal data. Names, addresses, email addresses, social security numbers, and IP addresses are all examples of personal data.
Just like people protect their physical belongings, online privacy is based on protecting personal data. Online privacy gives users control over their identity when using the internet. However, achieving total online privacy has become difficult because of social, commercial, legal, and technological factors.
Is online privacy a myth?
The internet has created many online applications and entities where much sensitive data is shared daily. Each online transaction requires you to provide personal data such as your name, email, and payment details. Some of these applications are not trustworthy and have faced severe data breach scandals in the past. This is why many people wonder whether online privacy is just a myth.
Some online companies are even more invasive to the extent of tracking and monitoring users’ online behavior to target them with personalized ads. We have an uphill task to achieve total online privacy; everyone must be on board. So, everyone must follow the online privacy rules and take caution about using their social media applications. Additionally, people should start using privacy-enhancing tools such as VPNs to maintain anonymity when connecting to the internet. This way, we can make online privacy the norm rather than the exception.
Why Internet privacy is important
Online privacy forms the backbone of internet adoption. It influences how technology evolves and affects personal security and safety. Poor online privacy practices can result in various offline threats, such as swatting, extortion, harassment, and doxing.
Recognizing online privacy’s impact on an individual level is also vital. For instance, you would not want burglars to know when you are not at home because this will allow them to break in. Similarly, scammers could use your personal information, such as your birthday and place of birth, to steal your identity.
Take some time and reflect on your most crucial online accounts, such as your social media platforms, email, and online banking, and the type of data they have about you. Your social media accounts only may have details such as your relationship status, school attended, workplace, place of birth, date, email, and phone number. Consider if the trade-off between the benefits of using a service and your privacy is still equitable. You can terminate your account anytime if your privacy and security are jeopardized.
Protecting your online privacy gives you control over your personal information and identity. Without it, people with malicious intent can manipulate your identity for their gain. For example, they can sell you an expensive vacation or steal your savings. The information you post online can also directly or indirectly impact your family and friends. Therefore, be cautious not to overshare and give cybercriminals an insight into your private life and personal data.
Some common threats to informational privacy
Technological advancements
Digitalization and the internet happened at an unprecedentedly fast pace in human history. Thus, they’ve created an environment never seen before that caught us all somewhat unprepared.
Sure, the new technology offers many new possibilities and advantages. But it also poses previously unknown threats to our privacy.
Notably, the rise of social media happened in an environment rapidly adopting the monopolization of the internet’s most essential features. One such example is the recent shift of Meta (previously known as ‘Facebook’) from social interactions to the metaverse thing. This trend is eroding users’ already meager control over their data.
Though losing control over personal data does not automatically constitute a tragedy, it poses some disadvantages.
But such drawbacks are not a fact of nature or an inevitable consequence of the internet’s dynamics. Instead, they happen because more and more entities have gained access to our data and are trying to obtain even more.
Luckily, governments, privacy enthusiasts, and activists sensed the upcoming privacy disaster early. Thus, data protection laws appeared in many jurisdictions to prevent abuses in increasingly high personal data processing.
But then, data science emerged as a new discipline, bringing in big data, machine learning, deep learning techniques, and the corresponding privacy threats.
Likewise, platform economies are also around, backed by tech giants with global reach that profit from private data. So naturally, this led to more data storage and processing.
As they say, “information is power,” some actors among these giants abused this power against people. Then along came Edward Snowden with a series of scandalous revelations.
Initially, people dismissed Snowden’s warnings as unreasonable. But then, the Cambridge Analytica scandal happened, proving him right. The threats about lack of privacy and control over our data are genuine and devastating.
Government surveillance
Besides technology, some of the world’s governments also actively target users’ data privacy.
China, India, and North Korea are the most notorious governments with large data infrastructures to collect even more information about their citizens. Unfortunately, though, they are not the only regions with such measures. Many other countries have also implemented specified programs for ‘spying’ on users, such as the USA’s PRISM program. Furthermore, the governments have also agreed to share their citizens’ data (the 14 Eyes alliance), worsening their privacy.
It raises further concerns. Collecting private data that establish general trends without identifying individuals is one thing. But gathering that same data in a way that allows a government to pinpoint a single person’s behavior is another. Hence, such aggressive data collection and surveillance often facilitate the implementation of harsh steps against freedom of speech, internet freedom, and other fundamental rights for citizens.
Tracking by corporate giants
Corporations have an enormous amount of customer data. They use it to match their users with the most effective publicity. And those databases, along with the technology used to analyze them and render them valid, are like the family jewels for these companies.
Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, or Amazon may sell specific products or services. But their business model is developed around collecting, selling, and analyzing personal information. And they are only getting bigger and better at their game.
An inevitable question pops up at this stage:
What does privacy mean in an environment where the same functionality we all enjoy so much is fueled by the very data collection we decry?
The new technologies that we quickly adopt empower a few global corporations enormously to set the tone for the debate of what informational privacy is all about.
Ironically, the terms and concepts regarding privacy are murkier now than in the past.
The very idea of privacy, which is clearly defined by the laws of most countries, is exceptionally ill-defined when it comes to the notion’s digital version. Regrettably, legislators are also confused on this issue, affecting ethics and policymaking.
Central to the discussion is GDPR. Most of the debate everywhere in the world moves around how the courts, individuals, corporations, and governments should interpret, analyze and adopt GDPR.
The European Union adopted it as the law of the land in 2018. That was a breakthrough that provided online users with unprecedented privacy rights. Moreover, this EU’s adoption extends beyond its borders, thus granting at least some rights to users globally.
Cyber-attacks
Cybercriminals use various tactics to exploit our habits and preferences and trick us into divulging sensitive information. These attacks include fake phone calls, misleading messages, or phishing emails. Malicious software such as keyloggers is designed to capture your usernames and passwords. These attacks can lead to data breaches, identity theft, financial loss, and reputational damage. Also, cybercriminals can cause chaos and instability by disrupting critical services like healthcare, transportation, and finance.
Security vulnerabilities
A vulnerability is a weakness in a device or software that can be exploited to access sensitive information. A vulnerability can be a production flaw or develop from advancement in technology. These vulnerabilities can make your device behave awkwardly or lead to serious data and security breaches. The leaked personal data of one user can compromise the privacy of millions of other accounts, especially on social media. Updating your devices and software with the most recent releases can help fix some vulnerabilities.
IoT devices
Connected security systems, cars, home appliances, and toothbrushes are all examples of IoT devices. These devices are always connected to the internet, collecting and transferring data about us. They help make our life convenient, but they transmit sensitive data, which cybercriminals can use to steal our identities.
Additionally, they are easy targets because they have to connect to the internet to work correctly. Once compromised, hackers can launch attacks on other devices on the network.
Unsecured web browsing
Browsers are one of the most common interfaces to interact online. Unsecured browsing helps online companies can track your browsing history to build a profile about you. This profile is later used to target you with personalized adverts. Some companies even sell your data to third parties.
Modern browsers have advanced security features that can be configured to improve your privacy and safety when browsing. The browser settings can also be configured to block ads and control cookies used by websites to store your browsing behavior.
Oversharing
Oversharing refers to the act of disclosing too much personal information online. Social media platforms have made it easier to share every detail of our lives with others. However, you can unknowingly give cybercriminals information they can use to attack you by oversharing. Posting pictures or videos of your homes or vacations can reveal sensitive information that attackers can use to target you.
Cyberstalking and online harassment can also come as a result of oversharing. Posting too much personal information about yourself can equip third parties and other users to target you. They may use this information to harass or stalk you online or offline, making you feel unsafe and vulnerable.
Weak, reused passwords
Using a similar password for multiple accounts is a significant security risk. Some people even use weak passwords that cybercriminals can easily crack. Reusing weak or the same passwords across multiple accounts can be devastating. A hacker could access all your other accounts using the same password. Using strong, unique passwords for each account is crucial to protect yourself from identity theft, financial fraud, and other malicious activities.
Privacy: Is there more to it than just hiding data?
The first problem to solve is to figure out what ‘privacy’ is in the first place.
Our current information and internet era primarily refers to privacy as hiding your data and activities from potential wrongdoers. However, it isn’t a precise definition. Matters are not helped by pop culture (what a surprise!). It depicts privacy related to CCTV cameras, Big Brother, government surveillance, MI5, CIA, KGB, and things of the kind in the movies and television.
The Internet Association of Privacy Professionals is the world’s largest global information privacy community. Fortunately, they’ve given the notion of privacy much thought, thus presenting a better definition.
Privacy is the right to be let alone, or freedom from interference or intrusion. Information privacy is the right to have some control over how your personal information is collected and used.
Source: IAPP
IAPP’s definition looks very simple and obvious. But in the digital age, the definition has to be implemented on software, hardware, policies, devices, and other tools. That’s where the concept of privacy becomes tricky. Further complications arise from the fact that privacy is a subjective idea that depends on the society discussing it.
Let’s forget online privacy for a moment. If you talk about analog, traditional privacy, you will find a different opinion (or definition) in every person you ask. For example, some people talk to others about their salary, family, medical problems, and other personal subjects without reservations. But others do not like to speak openly on such matters and will try to avoid such discussions as far as possible.
Ultimately, the intellectual community of every country will come up with a tentative definition through public debate. Each government will then provide a legal definition to respect and legislate.
Data privacy vs. Informational privacy
Upon hearing the terms “data privacy” and “informational privacy,” you might ask: are these two the same?
Well, the correct answer is “It depends.” But if you are an average online user, yes, both concepts point to the same facts, as both stem from the more general notion of data security.
Both concepts focus on properly handling the large amounts of data that online users worldwide generate daily.
Discussing such privacy implies notions such as notice, regulatory oversight, and consent. But, more specifically, informational privacy is about how corporations (or any other entity collecting user data) share or sell that information to third parties and whether it does so after seeking consent from the users (or making them aware).
Another concern is how these actors and third parties collect, store and analyze the data they gather and the legality of those processes. This is precisely what typically defines data privacy. But, as you can notice, these two terms are generally interchangeable, bearing similar contexts.
Fortunately, the legislative front is progressing in this regard, and some privacy-enhancing laws, like GDPR, HIPAA, GLBA, and CCPA, are or will be in effect soon. Because these laws provide some legal context, the discussions on this subject can move away from mere definitions and turn to regulatory restrictions that can better serve users and e-commerce merchants simultaneously.
Data privacy vs. Data security
So far, we’ve assumed informational privacy and data privacy to be interchangeable terms and concepts as they are both aspects of data security. But how do these ideas compare?
Let’s start with data security. It concerns how any entity (but most often governmental agencies) possessing data protects it from digital criminals and external attacks. On the other hand, data privacy (or informational privacy) deals with how the data is collected, used, shared, and processed.
So, the differences are subtle but essential. Organizations often believe that their excellent data security measures to keep hackers at bay make them automatically compliant with regulations like GDPR or CCPA, which protect informational privacy. It is a misconception.
When we get right down to it, the difference is that a corporation or institution that collects and stores personal data must ensure that the personally identifiable information remains safe from third parties through encryption, access restriction, and multiple security layers.
In that context, if an organization carelessly gathers data, it violates data privacy regulations. But, again, prior awareness and consent from users are critical. So even if the data is secure and nobody else can take advantage of the information, there is still something wrong with the process.
Informational invasion of privacy
Invasion of informational privacy occurs when somebody intrudes unduly into your life without your consent.
Significantly, such invasion happens when your right and freedom to be left alone and control your image in communications and private spaces is infringed. The critical idea here is “proper consent.” So the invasion of informational privacy can come from individuals and institutions alike.
How far is too far? The most frequent form is when someone deliberately uses a person’s statements as a marketing ploy.
Posting somebody else’s portrait online without permission is also a form of invasion of informational privacy. Another example is businesses that communicate with prospective customers through the phone or email without offering a chance to opt out of their campaign.
These examples could seem more or less harmless. But consider somebody who misappropriates your name. That is an invasion of informational privacy as well.
This is common, as explained previously when a business abuses a person’s likeness or name for marketing purposes without that person’s explicit permission. Usually, such an invasion happens to celebrities and doesn’t risk an average user.
Celebrities often have lawyers and legal teams to tackle these issues. However, the prevalence of celebrity cases doesn’t exclude the possibility that this can happen to an average person.
Also, celebrities are pretty careful about keeping as much control as possible over their pictures, names, and how the media uses them. Therefore, any business that uses those items without written permission from a given celebrity’s legal representatives is incurring an invasion of informational privacy.
Types of internet privacy
Privacy of the body
Gives people rights over their own bodies. The government cannot invade or examine it without the individual’s consent. It’s not about sexual violence only. For instance, this right prevents somebody else from taking a blood sample from your body without authorization.
Privacy of correspondence
This type of privacy is the most important because such invasions are shared online.
Snail mail and faxes have fallen out of use as communication methods. But in the past, when letters were sealed for privacy, corporations and governments still tried to intrude. Now that most of the world’s communications happen digitally, those governments or corporations are not likely to stop.
Suppose we, as a society, want to keep our correspondence private. In that case, we will have to earn it by fighting for it because neither governments nor businesses will want to lose those data mining opportunities.
Your right to privacy of correspondence enables you to communicate with others secretly without others snooping. It also empowers you to demand privacy in personal communications and when dealing with resources such as Wikipedia.
Privacy of data
Data is everything in the digital age. Thus, data privacy is vital in the digital world, governing how your data moves, is collected and by whom, how it is shared, and why and with whom.
For instance, if you store your data in a cloud service, that remains your data. But when you sign up, you must agree with the provider’s terms of use which may include their access to your data. Indeed, the problems with data privacy in a cloud are not new.
But the invasion of privacy is offensively accessing the data stored in your local computer, theoretically offline and safe from prying eyes. Unfortunately, it is becoming common because the current legal environment offers little to no protection against data seizure and search.
Therefore, the best thing to do is play it safe and adopt measures such as full disk encryption. Plenty of good products offer you that service, many of which are free, depending on what you specifically want and the operating system you use.
Linux is the most friendly operating system for encryption purposes. It offers full disk encryption out of the box without any additional software or configuration options. Although many users prefer Windows or macOS for ease of use, if you’re concerned about privacy and data security, Linux is the operating system you should use.
Financial privacy
The financial industry has kept up with advances in science and technology better than the rest.
The traditional financial system is vested in keeping some things safe and private. But then Bitcoin came online in 2008. It arrived as a speculative asset but is now slowly becoming a mainstream currency. (It’s a national legal tender in El Salvador already.) So more and more digitally savvy users are interested in doing business online and improving their financial status.
Before the digital age, banks helped clients keep their financial privacy somewhat. Banks were so good at this that the government’s attempts to find financial details about individuals (debt, expenditure, wealth, income, etc.) were frequently thwarted. But the government smarted up, passed new laws, and declined financial privacy.
Reasonably, governments need to have more information about the country’s economy, for which they need to know the finances of their citizens. So doing away with individual privacy in the financial sector is justified by the power structure because it increases economic growth.
A more practical reason is that the additional information allows the government to compute the taxes citizens should pay more accurately.
That’s where cryptocurrencies could make all the difference. Digital assets such as Monero will allow holders to have almost perfect financial secrecy, even if the government wants to smell around their investments.
Privacy of identity
This is the one that everybody takes for granted, so it gets overlooked the most.
You have the right to go about your daily life with complete anonymity. Showing your ID whenever you want to buy a newspaper or cigarettes or try to enter any building or restaurant violates this privacy right.
However, as unfortunate tragic incidents increasingly happen worldwide and right-wing politics gain more followers, this privacy right slowly erodes. Politicians are thus pushing for more advanced ID cards.
The worse offenders in this respect are the world’s airports. You give up most of your privacy rights when buying an airplane ticket. Your clothes and bags are checked. Your body gets scanned. You must go through many clearance passes before you can leave.
Last but not least, there are CCTV cameras. In the past two decades, hoodies have become the fashion because people know they are being recorded all the time in the streets.
The degree to which cameras are available in many of the world’s leading cities, combined with the local governments’ information about their citizens, makes it easy for them to track any individual with great detail.
Privacy of location
Following the omnipresence of CCTV cameras, the next natural thing to think about is the privacy of the location.
True freedom of movement means you have the right to be wherever you want, whenever you want, with whoever you want, without anyone (including the government) looking above your shoulder.
As things stand today, it’s probably safe to say that this particular right to privacy has no relevance in practical terms.
Most smartphones include GPS functionality, meaning the GPS network knows where you are. That applies even if you turn it off if you own an iPhone.
So when your GPS info is there, you are connected to many other persons at all times, and geolocation features are more widespread than ever. So yes, the right to privacy of location is extinct for the most part. That being said, the principle still stands.
The violent events in the last two decades have forced some of the world’s governments to closely track the locations of their persons of interest. For this, law enforcement agents can even use your smartphones against you, following your location throughout.
Privacy of Territory
This right means nobody, including government agents, can or should invade your home.
And it’s not just about your real estate properties. Instead, a specified territory around you should remain inviolate wherever you go.
Why does this matter at all?
Internet privacy constitutes the root of data security. Hence, it has become a critical issue in and around the technology industry.
As explained above, many industrial behemoths consider the data they collect their most valuable asset. If everything crumbles down around them, they can rebuild everything again. They can even improve it until they own the necessary data to reconstruct everything.
Lately, a new term frequently used to describe the world’s economy is “the data economy.” Did you notice the word “data” in there? That’s because data is essential. But, of course, your information and the right to informational privacy are essential too.
The new data economy forces its actors to go around requesting user consent. Also, they need to be more transparent than ever. Companies need some policing to remain honest and stick to their privacy policies, and they must be accountable for using data for their users and the governments.
After all, if these corporations can’t collect data anymore, they will go out of business. They need users to trust them, for which they need to prove that they are playing fair.
As a contemporary digital citizen and user, you should not consider your privacy a privilege. Instead, it’s your right; you deserve appropriate respect for your privacy.
Living by your rights means you can and should refuse any unwanted surveillance. You should be safe living in your own space and able to express your views on any issues you care about without having to identify yourself through IDs of any kind, digital or physical. Indeed, if societies don’t uphold these rights, democracy will quickly die.
Problems in defining informational privacy
Defining terminologies and setting out legislation is never simple. Even the most straightforward laws can give birth to subtle and complicated phenomena. Internet privacy is no different.
Inconsistent definitions for “privacy”
Perhaps everyone considers inernet privacy necessary, without which general individual privacy cannot be guaranteed.
But various privacy advocacy groups worldwide, working in different jurisdictions, understand privacy differently. In other words: there’s no neutral, international dictionary or language to agree upon when discussing privacy.
Above, we mentioned three laws meant to protect informational privacy: HIPAA, CCPA, and GDPR. Unfortunately, none of them includes a precise definition of privacy. Instead, they suggest fair information practices for companies regarding the data they collect, use, and sell.
Defining informational privacy was never on their agenda. Instead, these laws focus more on online users’ and companies’ rights.
Above all, each law was written in a different jurisdiction and applied to a different society that defines privacy in its own way.
People usually consider the European Union’s GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) the most advanced informational privacy legislation. Yet, some established publishers decry this law as nothing short of a mess regarding privacy.
Appreciably, GDPR has established and granted consumers unprecedented rights. However, it remains unclear how beneficial such rights will be. For instance, they may not enhance informational privacy if not many online users know they have those rights or ignore how informational privacy works.
Compliance issues for businesses
Unfortunately, the situation in the US is nightmarish, particularly given that most tech giants hail from here.
Specifically, businesses in North America have worse practices than any others globally. So, while they must comply with CCPA and GDPR, they simply can’t. That’s because both legislations have different informational privacy concepts and fair use definitions.
For instance, if you live in California, CCPA protects your right to block companies from selling your data. But GDPR does not even mention this issue.
Instead, GDPR places limitations on companies for their data collection. Specifically, they must have some legal basis to collect and process data. CCPA, in contrast, doesn’t require companies to justify data processing or collection.
Likewise, genetic and biometric data are two types of customer data healthcare in GDPR’s definitions. But for CCPA, they’re just “personal information.”
Both legislations impose fines in different ways and have other enforcement mechanisms. So it’s not that both regulatory efforts are mutually exclusive. Instead, they address the same problems from different angles, leaving many unmapped spaces where grey situations can arise.
Vague descriptions in-laws
Another problem is equivocation. The word “reasonable,” frequently appearing in the text of both laws, opens up possibilities for subjective interpretation. That’s because “reasonable” is an elusive concept that can be defined differently.
So, while both legislations deem “reasonable” invasions of informational privacy acceptable, they leave the interpretation of “reasonable” to others.
That is why even if both laws are enacted and enforced, the world still needs privacy activists to remain active. Because otherwise, governmental respect for our digital rights will be far from “reasonable.”
The privacy of personal information
As highlighted, a critical element in informational privacy is how carefully corporations collect their users’ personal information while respecting privacy.
Users can’t enforce this right on their own. Instead, the respective lawmakers should address these concerns. They must avoid controlling their sensitive professional, medical, or psychological conditions to institutions or corporations. Otherwise, we will lose the privacy of our personal information.
If criminals gain access to this data, things get even worse.
Another possibility is that users will not feel comfortable providing complete and accurate information when setting up accounts. Thus, some data schemes that enforce legality and transparency (such as the bothersome KYC program) could become useless.
The main focus of informational privacy is ensuring that proper rules and regulations govern consumer data collection. It must also include transferring personal data (credit card details, government records, medical data, and other sensitive material) to remain confidential and safe from external observers.
Personal data privacy, data protection, and data mining do not need to interfere with each other
The exponential progress in information technology has enormously influenced informational privacy.
Some prominent mentions include the rise in social media platforms, advanced data mining based on “Big data,” growing eCommerce, and, more recently, the explosion in digital activity everywhere in the world in the post-COVID-19 era.
This rise in internet usage also exposes users to privacy threats as people use more devices, like tablets and smartphones, which carry even more personal information than desktop computers. Undoubtedly, these gadgets are helpful as users can get everything they want within a few taps. But the underlying data exposure makes the future of informational privacy look bleak, even with the upcoming “Internet of Things” and similar technologies.
Information technology should supposedly improve living. But it has increasingly invaded every aspect of our lifestyle. So, informational privacy issues are not just about the sites we visit. Instead, they will end up influencing all the values by which we live.
The other new thing is data mining. It allows professional analysts to dive into vast pools of collected data and find patterns and behaviors hidden in lesser data samples.
Data mining isn’t entirely a bad thing. It not only helps the companies know their users better. But the users will also like the gradual improvements in the functionality of systems as services or platforms adapts quickly to the users’ demands.
But is data mining a threat to privacy? It depends. If the data used in the mining process is sanitized to delete any personally identifiable information, then it should bring no harm. But, if it isn’t, then we’re in the hands of Big Brother.
So, there’s nothing wrong with data mining in itself. Instead, how entities collect and use data (especially considering “user consent”) is what matters.
Online Habits that impact your privacy
Many people engage in lousy internet habits that make them vulnerable to threats. Here are some online practices that can impact your privacy:
- Opening Suspicious Attachments or Downloading Malicious Files: Opening suspicious attachments or downloading files from untrusted sources is a common way to get infected with malware or viruses. Hackers use files to hide programs that can breach your data. Don’t open a suspicious attachment from an unknown sender, and avoid downloading files from untrusted websites because they may contain malware.
- Ignoring Terms and Conditions: It might be tiresome, but always read a website’s terms and conditions before signing up. Many services require you to grant them access to your data; some may even sell it to third parties. You may be unwillingly giving away your personal information by ignoring the terms and conditions.
- Staying Logged in: Many websites allow you to stay signed in, so you don’t have to enter your login credentials every time you visit. This is convenient but can also be risky. Anyone with access to your device can access your accounts without entering a password. Always log out after finishing with a website or an application, especially on public computers.
- Reusing Passwords: Reusing the same password for multiple accounts is easy to remember but also dangerous. If one of your accounts is hacked, cybercriminals can use that password to access your other accounts. To prevent this, use unique passwords for each account and consider using a password manager to help you remember them.
How to protect your online privacy and security
- Use Multi-Factor Authentication: Turn on Multi-Factor Authentication to increase the layers of authentication before anyone gains access to your account. A user can combine something you know (like a password), something you have (like a phone or token), or something you are (like a fingerprint or face scan) to authenticate. Multi-factor authentication can protect your accounts from unauthorized access even if your password is compromised.
- Secure Online Communications: Use secure online communication platforms that are end-to-end encrypted to protect your conversations from eavesdropping. Do not share sensitive information over unsecured channels such as public Wi-Fi networks.
- Back up data in the Cloud: Choose a reputable cloud services provider and enable two-factor authentication to secure your data further. Additionally, you can encrypt your data before uploading it to add an extra layer of protection. However, cloud backups are risky because anyone with your password can access your centralized data anywhere.
- Use HTTPS to Secure Your Online Connection: HTTPS protocol encrypts your internet connection, making it more difficult for hackers to intercept your data. HTTPS websites have a padlock icon in your web browser’s address bar.
- Adjust Your Settings on Google, Facebook, etc.: All major websites boast a privacy settings section that allows you to limit the amount of data they can collect or share with third parties. You can limit the information collected, such as location data and personal preferences.
- Delete Cookies at Browser Exit: Cookies store browsing information and history information. They can be helpful and can also track your activities across different websites. Always configure your browser to delete cookies when you exit.
- Install an Antivirus Program & Activate the Firewall: Antivirus software detects and removes malware and viruses from your computer. Choose a trustworthy antivirus program and keep it updated (that helps against evolving threats to stay safe). Configure your device’s firewall to control access to your computer or network.
- Keep your software up-to-date: We recommend regularly updating your device’s operating system and third-party applications. That helps fix potential weaknesses that hackers can exploit to launch an attack. Additionally, consider upgrading your device occasionally to cope with the evolving threats.
- Use a VPN: A VPN is a privacy-enhancing tool that secures your data online by encrypting it into unreadable formats. It also ensures anonymity when browsing by changing your IP address to the server you are connected to. This ensures no one can monitor your online activities, including government agencies and internet service providers.
- Secure Your Web Browser: A web browser gives you the interface to access the web. The chances are you are reading this article in a browser. It has become a significant target by cybercriminals recently because it’s the most used gateway to the internet. Always use a privacy-focused web browser that blocks ads and trackers, or use browser extensions that block them. Consider limiting third-party cookies and pop-ups using the built-in settings of your browser.
The future of online privacy laws
A large number of devices we use today are connected to the internet. This leads to the exchange of large amounts of data between the devices and various servers. There is a very high chance that unauthorized persons can be intercepted or access this data. Therefore, we need protective online privacy laws to curb the risks associated with online activities. Users must keep themselves informed of the latest threats and take steps to protect themselves. No single federal law at the moment comprehensively governs all aspects of online privacy in the United States or anywhere worldwide. However, several laws, like Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), have been enacted to address various online privacy needs. Many states in the US have also enacted laws related to online privacy. The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) is an excellent example. Notably, online privacy laws continuously evolve, so everyone needs to stay updated on new developments.
FAQs
Like others enshrined in the constitution, internet privacy is a fundamental human right. Many governments and entities violate this right by collecting and tracking user data without consent. They can listen to phone calls, read emails, and monitor online activities. That’s how powerful these entities are. We must therefore take measures to protect our privacy online and ensure our rights are respected. There should be laws in place regarding how companies and governments collect data. Authorities should also limit how firms track and monitor our online activities. We can also use privacy-enhancing technologies to browse anonymously without surveillance. Preserving online privacy is ongoing, so you must update yourself to avoid potential privacy violations.
According to Privacy International’s Privacy Index, countries with the least protection in terms of internet privacy include:
1. China
2. Malaysia
3. Russia
4. Singapore
5. England
The need for internet privacy will only become more significant as time passes. Every internet user wishes for a case where government agencies, internet service providers, and internet corporations would allow them to browse freely without monitoring, tracking, and profiling. This is the ultimate internet privacy. Many internet users have also acknowledged that they have a role to play in safeguarding their data, as evidenced by the surge in the use of VPNs and other privacy-enhancing tools in the recent past. The trend is likely to continue as more people become proactive in efforts to protect their personal information. Therefore, the desire for online privacy will increase with time.
The internet is unsafe without privacy because anything you do online can be visible to the public. With no way to protect your sensitive information, third parties, including hackers, would target you with all sorts of attacks. Online privacy and safety are the most critical features of any web application. These features allow you to control your data and who can access it. Sometimes the features are not enough to safeguard your data, and you need to use privacy-enhancing technologies like VPNs and embrace healthy browsing habits.
Probably, yes. This is because ISPs, governments, and other entities always seek to obtain our personal data whenever we use the internet. The data they collect can later be used to target us, putting our privacy at risk. Therefore, we are responsible for safeguarding our privacy and personal space on the internet. We must proactively protect our privacy by maintaining healthy online practices and using privacy tools like VPNs. Maintaining online privacy protects our sensitive data from falling into the wrong hands. Online privacy seems like a lost cause, but we can still take steps to protect ourselves and our personal information.
