What is digital privacy, and how can we protect it?

What is digital privacy?

In the simplest terms, the definition of digital privacy refers to an individual’s ability to control and protect their personal information online. It means having control over how your digital information is collected, stored, processed, and shared online. Caring for your online privacy helps keep your information private and secure.

Every time you do something online – shop, search, browse websites, post pictures, or leave comments – you leave a digital footprint. This footprint creates a detailed profile of your preferences, habits, and other personal details. Digital privacy is all about keeping this profile private, including your name, home address, contact info, or any other detail that can be used to point you out from the crowd. If this data gets into the wrong hands, it could lead to identity theft or fraud.

But personally identifiable information isn’t all that digital privacy deals with. It also covers your online activity, such as financial transactions and browsing history. This data can show your shopping habits, interests, and social interactions. If unauthorized people access this info, it can result in privacy threats, unwanted ads, or financial loss.

Internet privacy also involves protecting personal content like photos and videos. If not managed well, these can reveal personal details, sometimes even your location information, which can become a threat to your physical safety.

Understanding the difference between privacy and security is important too. Privacy is about keeping your personal information safe and deciding who can see it. Security is about protecting that information from unauthorized access and breaches. Both are key to staying safe online.

Importance of digital privacy

Today, when everything we do can be tracked, privacy often feels more like an ideal than a reality. With everything so connected, understanding the meaning of digital privacy and its importance is necessary for individuals as well as organizations.

For individuals, knowing what digital privacy means is crucial to keeping personal info safe from being accessed or misused. As we spend more time online, the risk of personal information being exposed grows. Important details like names, addresses, online banking account info, and photos need to be protected to prevent identity theft, financial fraud, and other serious issues. Yet, 61% of Americans doubt their efforts to protect their privacy online will really help, and 37% feel overwhelmed by how complicated it is.

Businesses also need to care about internet privacy. Nowadays, the line between personal and work data has blurred, especially with remote work being so popular. Companies must protect the privacy of both their customers and employees to protect themselves. About four in ten Americans are very worried about companies selling their info without consent. Trust is key in customer relationships, and if a company fails to safeguard data, it risks its reputation and customer loyalty. Plus, organizations must adhere to data protection regulations to avoid big fines and legal trouble.

Common threats to digital privacy

Many threats put our privacy at risk. Understanding these threats helps us better protect ourselves and keep our sensitive data safe. What are some ways we lose our privacy in the digital world?

Hacking and cyberattacks

Hacking and cyberattacks are significant threats to digital privacy. These incidents involve unauthorized access to systems and data, typically with malicious intent. Common types of cyberattacks include:

• Malware. This malicious software is designed to damage or gain unauthorized access to systems. Malware can include viruses, ransomware, and spyware – all of which can steal personal information or lock you out of your own computer.
• Data breaches. When unauthorized individuals access large archives of data, they can expose personal and financial information. High-profile data breaches often result in massive amounts of sensitive data being stolen or leaked. Additionally, distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, which flood systems with overwhelming traffic and cause outages, can create openings for these security breaches.

Phishing scams

Phishing scams are deceptive practices used to steal personal information by pretending to be a trusted source. These attacks can threaten digital privacy in several ways:

• Phishing emails. These are malicious emails that look like they came from a legitimate source, which can be your bank or favorite online service. They usually ask you to provide personal information or click on malicious links, which can lead to identity theft or unauthorized access to your personal accounts.
• Smishing. This is a form of phishing that uses SMS messages to trick you into revealing private information or downloading malicious apps.

Both methods can compromise a person’s digital privacy if attackers gain access to sensitive data, which can be used for fraud or identity theft.

Data collection by companies

Companies often collect and use personal data for various reasons, which can raise concerns about digital privacy. Here’s how this typically happens:

• Tracking and analytics. Many users of online services are unaware of the extent to which their activities are tracked and analyzed by service providers. Companies use cookies and other tracking technologies to monitor the behavior of online users. They often use this customer data to personalize content, target advertising, and analyze user engagement. This practice is commonly scrutinized because people often consider targeted advertising to be an invasion of privacy.
• Data sharing. It’s common for companies to share or sell the data they collect to other third parties, such as advertisers and data brokers. This means your personal information could be exposed to other entities, sometimes without your explicit consent.

These practices can result in a loss of privacy because individuals often have limited control over how their data is used and shared. As online services become more integral to our daily lives, understanding and managing these risks is crucial for protecting personal privacy.

How to protect digital privacy

Who’s responsible for your internet privacy? The responsibility lies both with you and with organizations and governments. Let’s take a look at the ways you can protect digital privacy and how governments are responsible for safeguarding it.

How you can protect your own digital privacy

The best way to protect your digital privacy is to take it into your own hands. However, if you want to do it, you don’t have to delete yourself from the internet. Here are some tools that can help you protect your privacy online:

• A virtual private network (VPN). A VPN improves your privacy by encrypting your internet traffic, making it difficult for third parties to monitor your online activities. However, while a VPN changes your virtual location and encrypts your data, it does not make you completely anonymous. Online platforms and other websites can still collect data based on your interactions and usage patterns. However, some VPNs, like NordVPN, offer additional features such as Threat Protection Pro, which blocks online trackers and enhances the privacy of internet users.
• Privacy-focused browsers. You can find web browsers that were designed with privacy in mind. They reduce tracking and block malicious ads, bringing you more security while browsing. Brave and Tor are a couple of the best browsers for privacy.
• Browser extensions for your privacy. You can also install browser plug-in extensions that protect your privacy, like ad blockers and tracker blockers. These tools help prevent third-party tracking and data collection.
• Private search engines. Use private search engines that do not track your queries or collect personal data, such as DuckDuckGo or Startpage. These search engines provide results without compromising your privacy.
• Messaging apps with end-to-end encryption. Ordinary messaging apps can be accessed by service providers, or intercepted by hackers or governments. The most secure messaging apps available encrypt your messages and ensure that only you and the recipient can read them.
• Antivirus software. Regularly use anti-malware and antivirus software to protect your devices from malicious software that can compromise your privacy. These tools help prevent data breaches and protect against various online threats.
• Cloud storage. Use cloud storage solutions that prioritize privacy and security. Services with strong encryption practices ensure that your private files are secure and accessible only to you and those you choose to share them with. Properly configuring your cloud storage privacy settings and using a reputable service can help you protect sensitive documents and data from prying eyes.
• Regular updates. Keep your operating systems, applications, and security software up to date to fix vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers.
• ​​Privacy policies and app permissions. Regularly check and manage the permissions granted to the apps installed on your devices. Many apps request access to more data than they need, such as location, contacts, or camera. For instance, some of the worst apps for privacy are known for excessive data collection and invasive tracking practices. Additionally, always review the privacy policies of apps to understand how your data is being used and protected. This way, you can limit the data that apps can collect and reduce your exposure to potential privacy risks.

How governments and organizations protect your digital privacy

Governments and organizations implement various regulations and laws to ensure your digital privacy is protected. Some key measures include:

• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This regulation, enforced in the European Union, establishes stringent requirements for data protection and privacy, including the rights of individuals to access, correct, and delete their personal data.
• California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). The CCPA grants California residents the right to know what personal data is being collected about them, access that data, and request its deletion.
• Other regulations. Various countries and regions have their own data protection laws, such as Brazil’s LGPD or Canada’s PIPEDA, which aim to enhance privacy and control over personal data.

For governments and organizations, failure to comply with data protection regulations can result in substantial fines and legal actions.

Individuals have the right to be informed about how their data is used, to access their data, and to request its correction or deletion. It’s important to understand these rights and responsibly manage your own data.