The Internet: How Private is Your Privacy?

Ever feel like you are being watched? How about having the feeling like some one is following you home from school? Well that is what it will be like if users do not have the privacy on the Internet they deserve. EPIC (Electronic Privacy Information Center), a advocacy group that has been fighting the Clinton Administration for tougher online consumer protection laws, and other privacy protection agencies have formed to protect the rights and privileges of the Internet user. With the U.S. Government, EPIC has had to step in and help small companies and Internet users with their own privacy problems, hackers getting into their systems and ruining the networks, and crackers stealing and decrypting private

In today’s world, Privacy and Security comes hand in hand with internet. Technology allows us free speech and freedom of information over the internet, by imposing strict laws and policies regulating the privacy and security of our information. According to Richard Clarke, free expression over the internet and its privacy are two sides of the same coin (Privacy and security(n.d.)). Writing blogs, uploading posts, comments or pictures on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, networking or sharing links on Linkedin are all considered as our free expression and its security is our right. Individual right to

Today, society is affected by the many advances in technology. These advances affect almost every person in the world. One of the prevalent advances in technology was the invention and mass use of the Internet. Today more than ever, people around the world use the Internet to support their personal and business tasks on a daily basis. The Internet is a portal into vast amounts of information concerning almost every aspect of life including education, business, politics, entertainment, social networking, and world security. (idebate.com) Although the Internet has become a key resource in developing the world, the mass use of Internet has highlighted a major problem, privacy and the protection of individual, corporate, and even government

Over the past decade the world has gotten much smaller due to the electronic communication the Internet has fostered. While this promotes business and international relations, problems arise regarding the protection of individuals’ personal information. Many countries around the world have developed privacy policies and laws protect an individual's information in the realm of electronic communication. Universal enforcement gets complicated because the Internet is not restricted to one country; it’s worldwide. As a result, concerns arise regarding the compatibility of various countries' privacy policies. This paper will discuss the current legislation in place for various major

As we have moved into an era where we are more and more dependent on the internet and cyber technology than we ever have been, it is almost natural for criminals to find a way to learn to exploit the information available. While there are some internet hackers and activists that utilize their skills to send a message or to push an agenda, there are many hackers and cyber criminals that utilize their skills illegally for monetary gain. Many of us have most of our bills and finances online, and we utilize the internet to track and manage these types of accounts. While there may be no way to revert to the days of paper accounting, the idea of identity theft or having credit card or banking information stolen has many people fearful of having their information on the internet. While there may be no guaranteed method of ensuring your information is completely protected, there are ways to make yourself much less vulnerable to these attacks. By educating oneself on the risks and vulnerabilities associated with being on the internet and having so much information tied into it, you may be able to stay much safer.

Throughout time, privacy and security have been two heavily debated topics. There has always been a struggle to find middle ground between a private environment and a secure environment, but the dawn of technology and the Internet has made this struggle even more difficult. The Internet has drastically decreased the expectation of privacy of any and all individuals that have ever used it. Technology in general can pose a threat to an individual’s physical and virtual security. The Internet has also brought forth a sense of anonymity to those looking to conceal their true identities, some of which plan to commit horrific crimes. Privacy and security go hand in hand, however security is by far the most important.

The concern about privacy on the Internet is increasingly becoming an issue of international dispute. ?Citizens are becoming concerned that the most intimate details of their daily lives are being monitored, searched and recorded.? (www.britannica.com) 81% of Net users are concerned about threats to their privacy while online. The greatest threat to privacy comes from the construction of e-commerce alone, and not from state agents. E-commerce is structured on the copy and trade of intimate personal information and therefore, a threat to privacy on the Internet.

How much privacy do we really have anymore? Each and every day new technologies are being born and introduced into our society. A lot of these technologies have something to do with tracking and monitoring the consumer or user of a product or service. I am okay with having my personal information shared with the Internet but only to a point. While Americans claim to care about their privacy, they seem to really care about convenience more. If giving up personal information will make things easier, Americans seem to be all for it. According to Google’s chief economist Hal Varian, “Everyone will expect to be tracked and monitored, since the advantages, in terms of convenience, safety, and services, will be so great” (qtd. in Kelly). Since sharing and collecting information is both beneficial for consumers and companies, it should be continued; however, companies should invest more time and money in digital security and in the protection of the information gathered from the consumers, and they should also be more clear about how that gathered information will be used.

Information gathering, through networking, social media, and both on and offline storage have made it easier to collect information about an individual than ever before, with many concerns having arisen over the years about privacy and the ability to protect that privacy. As debates over personally identifiable information continue, one cornerstone remains a constant, ethics. Ethics are defined as “the standard by which human actions can be judged right and wrong (Online, 2012)”, but even that can be debated when discussed within the realm of information technology. Have you ever been to an internet shopping site and “trusted” the secure connection? Essentially, you are entrusting an inanimate system developed by an individual or group

Internet privacy is the security of a user’s personal data that is stored or published on the internet. The internet is an important part of every individual’s daily life. In today’s society, the internet is used by many different people for many reasons. It can be used for research, communication, and purchasing items. Without the internet, many things that are completed during the course of a day would be impossible or take time to complete. As people use the internet, everything is stored in a database that tracks and keeps any personal information that is entered by users. As users continue to use the internet to complete important tasks such as purchasing items and paying bills, their privacy and security become at risk. Although the internet can be seen to have a positive impact on society, it does have a negative impact. Since the internet can be accessed by anybody it can cause a lot of damage. Examples of internet risk include identity thieves, phasing, and scams. Due to things such as online shopping, banking and other e-commerce options, personal information is stored in the internet enabling many cybercrimes to occur. Cybercrimes are very similar to any regular crime; the crime just happens to take place on websites for criminals to hack and steal user’s information for their own personal benefit. Cybercriminals tend to attack users based on their emails, social media accounts, and web history because the most history about an individual is stored in those sites.

The growing concerns on privacy are rapidly changing. Though a new worry in the online world, these troubles with privacy violations have existed far before the Internet was even invented. It used to be abnormal to hand out personal information, like an address or birthdate; however, now these are the blanks that users fill out on almost every social media site they join. The information that is gladly given away, used to be protected for fear of identity theft. So what has dramatically changed in order to change these morals? Some believe that the invention of the Internet has caused people to believe that they are safe behind the screen. They place false hope and trust in social media, so the question is where these accusations are originating from. Have these privacy disgruntlements been thrown away over the hopes of achieving some sort of online popularity persona? Or is the generation stuck inside a online labyrinth that entices sharing rather than secrets?

In today’s world, we are all in some way connected to or involved with the internet. We all use different services that we feel either enrich our lives or make them more enjoyable every day, from email to FaceBook, MySpace, and e-commerce. We all take a sort of false comfort in the basic anonymity of the internet; however, when we think about it, that could end up being the single biggest risk to our own safety today. When we typically think of crimes committed against us, we could probably name several: mugging, theft, scams, murder, and rape. For these, things we all take as many necessary steps as we can to help lower the chances of them happening to us because they are on the forefront of our minds. However, most of us don’t take the

Even though some may think that the Internet is fundamentally secure, the reality is that Internet privacy is nonexistent. Companies are getting hacked and our personal data is being leaked. The United States government is collecting data on everyone that has been on the Internet, including U.S. citizens. Finally, status updates, tweets, and Instagram pictures are on social

People of all ages and from all different types of the world are constantly sharing personal information when using the internet. Whether it be uploading a picture onto social media, making a payment online, or even as simple as googling information it can all be used against you. It doesn’t matter what we do online as long as we are connected we are being watched. Uploading a picture on social media can result in someone taking a screenshot, sending it around and suddenly there’s people viewing a picture that wasn’t meant to be shared with specific people. Purchasing something on a source that isn’t reliable can result in having

In this era of technological advances, people are unaware of the high risk of exposure of their personal information. While each of the networks that make up the Internet is owned by a public or private organization, no single organization or government owns or controls the Internet. According to a study conducted by the UNDOC, at least 2.3 billion people, the equivalent of more than one third of the world’s total population, had access to the internet in 2011. The study also forecasted that by 2020, the number of networked devices will outnumber people by six to one which could sharply increase the rate of cybercrime.