How often do we read the terms and conditions of a website before we sign up for it? Do we diligently go through the privacy policy of various social media platforms that we access daily? We often question in this day and age if privacy is a myth. The answer to that question is difficult to understand.
With the increasing use of technology for everything, ranging from banking services to the consumption of social media and entertainment platforms, we have come across several advantages and disadvantages to this digital revolution.
A rise in the misuse of this technology, especially about the digital data privacy of the individual, can be observed.
Why privacy is being breached?
We consciously or unconsciously put out huge amounts of sensitive and private information on the internet daily. The amount of data and information that we produce has increased substantially due to the usage of multiple electronic devices.
This has resulted in an increased concern for digital data privacy as several businesses are even ready to pay to get access to information about our daily lives.
Digital data privacy or information privacy broadly refers to the proper supervision of data. The elements of digital data privacy include the right of an individual to have control over their private data, comply with the country’s data protection laws, and regulated procedures for proper handling and sharing of personal data.
We can simply understand digital data privacy in the context of advocating individual rights in the e-services and e-commerce sphere, in opposition to businesses and companies that make use of such information. As people continue to share personal information on various platforms, their privacy also remains under constant threat.
Data privacy and data security are two separate terms that are often mistakenly used interchangeably.
Although both are concerned with the protection of an individual’s private data, data security refers to the different safeguards and protections taken by an organisation to prevent unauthorised access by any third party to access digital data.
What steps should organisations take
On the other hand, data privacy can be understood with the way organisations collect and govern the use of data and the rights of individuals related to their personal information.
These should not be confused with each other. Protecting customer data from external hackers does not mean complying with digital data privacy regulations.
Business organisations use this information about people and assess it to determine their business strategies and target ads towards individual consumers. The important question that arises here is- How do we control others’ access to information about us? Who can acquire this data and who has control over it?
In the digital age, companies and businesses need to be transparent in terms of what data they are collecting from individuals and how it is being managed.
The rapid increase in the use of technology will also mean stricter data privacy laws, which will make it difficult for companies to breach them without destroying their reputation in the market.
Criminals interested in your data mainly misuse it for fraudulent purposes and scamming people. It is important to beware of them in a world where cybercrime is on the rise and huge amounts of information can be hacked.
We need to be cautious and aware of digital literacy and data protection laws that regulate how businesses use our personal information.
Compliance of Industries:
Businesses need to comply with their privacy policy and be open about how they manage their consumers’ data. Since they consume huge data about their customers, it is important to uphold their trust and not breach privacy laws.
Selling data to other organisations can also hamper their image in the market and result in legal action against the company. They should comply with their legal responsibilities, failing which, a heavy fine can be levied on them and lead to a huge loss of revenue and customers.
Conclusion:
Therefore, individual consumers should be vigilant of what they share on the internet and educate themselves about their country’s digital data privacy laws.
Making simple changes by protecting your browser, installing antivirus software, protecting your accounts with strong security codes can go a long way in restricting outside parties to access your personal information.
Written By - Himanshi Nebhnani
.jpeg)
0 Comments