10 Reasons Your Online Privacy Matters

Yawn
8 min readJul 21, 2021

People warned you not to talk to strangers, but it probably never occurred to you that providers of goods and services online might be able to recognize your identity based on the data they collect from your online interactions. This ability raises new concerns for the protection of our privacy. Here are some reasons why online privacy matters:

If you’ve been online in the last decade, chances are you have a reputation. The problem is that it isn’t just limited to your friends and family who know what kind of weirdo you really are. Instead, the internet has blessed us all with a permanent record of our most embarrassing moments-particularly those viral videos from YouTube or pictures that may or may not show your face.

In addition to those million-dollar pics that will haunt us for years to come, our online privacy matters because it snowballs into other parts of our lives. Employers don’t want Googling their potential hires and finding out about every dumb thing they ever did as teenagers on their MySpace page 10 years ago. People who are looking at your profile on a dating site, or just want to know the last five things you said about yourself online, can do so by digging into your digital footprint.

It’s my private life, stop looking!

Many of these privacy violations trace back to the fact that companies don’t have to ask you permission before they collect data about you. Even though we understand and recognize that our behavior shifts as we change or grow older, this is still a fundamental failure of ethical business practices in 2015. It is a failure that makes people dumber and lonelier when they’ve been told what not to do all their lives.

Online privacy is precarious. It’s easy for companies to acquire data about you and it’s harder to prevent them from doing so. There is no one online that feels empowered to stand up for your privacy rights. We have all been complicit in this responsibility as we have allowed our data to be sold and collected without our permission.

Forget what you thought you knew about your privacy or the state of cybersecurity because the internet changed all of that and more. This means we need new laws, new policies, and new attitudes about what it means to be ethical in the digital age and how we can contribute to making sure it doesn’t happen again.

Privacy is intrinsically linked to freedom of expression. It is a basic human right that imposes on the freedom of others to regulate our lives and behavior. And while we have all accepted the idea that privacy is dead, we have also grown dependent upon it at the same time. There are two things you need to remember when you think about privacy:

Your data is important, and these days you have more of it than ever before. Your data can make or break your life. As long as there are people in power who can exploit your data for their own personal gain, no one will feel safe anymore-not even online. You’re never truly safe from anyone with access to your digital information online or offline.

Here are 10 reasons why your online privacy matters.

1) Identity theft:

This is one of the ten reasons why your online privacy matters. Identity theft stands as one of the most significant risks for individuals. When a criminal creates an account in your name or else impersonates you, they are stealing your identity and ruining your credit history and reputation. If you have been a victim of this scam yourself, then this article will provide hope for helping to recover from identity theft or at least put you on the right path to doing so!

2) Cyberbullying:

This is one of the ten reasons why your online privacy matters. Cyberbullying stands as one of the most prevalent issues in today’s society. When someone anonymously posts or sends a communication to harass or embarrass you online, they are trying to exert power and control over your life and that is not acceptable. If you have been a victim of this issue yourself, then this article will provide hope for how to deal with it!

3) Exposure of personal data:

This is one of the ten reasons why your online privacy matters. Exposure of personal data stands as one of the most significant risks for individuals. When companies put your data online with no way for you to oversee what information is out there and who has the ability to access it, they are putting you at risk. If you have been a victim of this issue yourself, then this article will provide hope for how to deal with it!

4) Cyberstalking:

This is one of the ten reasons why your online privacy matters. Cyberstalking stands as one of the most prevalent issues in today’s society. When someone uses the internet or other technology to harass or threaten you in a persistent manner, they are trying to exert power and control over your life and that is not acceptable. If you have been a victim of this issue yourself, then this article will provide hope for how to deal with it!

5) Online privacy scares:

Online privacy scares are one of the most prevalent issues in today’s society. People are becoming more aware that this type of data collection from Internet users can be misleading and that there may be an ulterior motive behind social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. When this alarm bell rings, it signals a time where people need to double-check what they post online before posting it, as that could result in a privacy violation! If you have been an unfortunate victim of online privacy scare yourself, then this article will provide hope for how to deal with the issue!

6) Surveillance:

This is one of the ten reasons why your online privacy matters. Surveillance stands as one of the most significant risks for individuals. When someone or an organization monitors your activities online without your consent, they are trying to exert power and control over you. If you have been a victim of surveillance yourself, then this article will provide hope for how to deal with it!

7) Privacy in the workplace:

Privacy in the workplace is a big issue that needs to be addressed. When individuals, organizations, or other entities discover their employees are inappropriately accessing or trading information, they are violating your privacy and basic rights! If you have been a victim of this issue yourself, then this article will provide hope for how to deal with it!

8) Online safety:

The topic of online safety is one that should be addressed in today’s society. Children who use the internet are at risk of having their data collected and shared without their knowledge. When they post their personal information online, they should be aware that there may be an ulterior motive for collecting such data and share it among other Internet users. If you have been a victim of this issue yourself, then this article will provide hope for how to deal with it!

9) Online privacy is a public good:

The Internet has given rise to a number of new opportunities. One of the most significant outcomes is the opportunity for social media platforms like Facebook. When people post something on these platforms, they are not only adding to their personal content but also sharing it with their friends. People use these websites as a way of reconnecting and re-establishing with each other in an ever-growing digital world.

For individuals who use social media platforms, it’s important to be aware that there are risks involved with this simple act! There needs to be some sort of protection system so that users can have peace of mind while using- and continue using- social media websites without fear or worry about their privacy being violated by others!

10) Online privacy is a fundamental human right:

Privacy rights are something that we cannot lose or ignore anymore. In today’s world, people are becoming more and more aware of the potential dangers related to not maintaining personal privacy online. If you have been a victim of this issue yourself, then this article will provide hope for how to deal with it!

For years, many individuals have experienced the damage caused by breaches of online privacy. When people put their trust in companies like Google Inc., Facebook Inc., or even Apple Inc. with their personal information, they fill out forms online. When that information is released to the public or sold to other companies, it can be detrimental! People need to be more aware of their privacy rights and how to control what personal information they share online!

Your choice of Internet Service Provider and what you do online matters!

So how do you deal with your Online Privacy Matters?

As more and more people are using the internet, there is an increasing risk of personal privacy being violated. However, there are several ways for individuals to protect themselves online. Some key steps that can be taken to maintain your online privacy include:

  1. Don’t share too much personal information on social media sites. Sites like Facebook and Twitter allow you to control what you post, but things can slip out when you’re not looking!
  2. Mind your information on search engines like Yahoo or Google — don’t link any of your accounts together (email or Facebook), and don’t post anything that’s private either!
  3. Protect yourself from malware by installing antivirus software regularly, as well as being cautious about which websites you visit and downloading programs from.
  4. Keep your credit card information protected — when paying for something online, use a service with built-in privacy protection like PayPal.
  5. Be careful about what you click on! Don’t click on any ads, links or offers that look suspicious or could be malicious (like pop-ups).
  6. Use a virtual private network (VPN) service — this is an application that allows users to access the internet through a remote server. Most VPN services are paid services, but they provide significant security to users and also help prevent theft of data while browsing online.

Some trusted and safe sites to use online include:

Don’t be afraid to contact a law firm if you feel your personal information might have been stolen or violated online! The website http://www.achillesgrouplawyers.com/online-privacy-rights-summary-guide is an excellent resource to keep in mind when dealing with the issue of privacy rights online!

As with most things, the world of online security is a vast one that touches many different fields of interest, varying degrees of complexity, and the potential for breaches in privacy as a result.

Conclusion

Many people need to be aware of their online privacy as recent breaches, such as those of Troy Hunt, LulzSec, and even the most prominent cases have demonstrated.
It is important for anyone using computers to take steps to secure their privacy and personal information. The Internet provides many privacy violations that could have bodily harm and even death as a result; it is not worth the risk.

The Internet allows for many activities which are fun and enjoyable; however, doing so without a certain level of precaution can lead to great distress.

Read how the rise of social media marks the fall of personal-privacy

Originally published at https://deepdotnet.com on July 21, 2021.

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