Online Privacy: Digital Media’s Biggest Challenge
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Congratulations! You can now access our content
at the cost of your personal information.
This is the state of almost every website now.
There is hardly anything you can completely access online without giving at
least some of your personal data away. Facebook won't allow you to browse
without an account. Quora won't let you read beyond one post unless you log in.
Twitter won't let you tweet unless you establish your identity on it. Amazon
may not ask you to log in initially but once you make a purchase, your
information gets stored and you automatically become a part of their mailing
list. After that, we all know the way it tracks every search and purchase made.
There's hardly any privacy in the online world.
In fact, we are so pressed for options that even when we do not want to give
away information, we do so begrudgingly because we simply need to access the
content.
Hence, this predicament leads to one of the
biggest questions that plagues our generation today. What about online privacy?
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| Online privacy is one of the most debated topics of 2018 |
We are living in a time where every movement online gets tracked. Whether it's transaction details, cookies that collect our browser history or even our location data--it is all used to generate an online profile. Many users are aware of the risk of the same. They know they're being tracked. But most do not and that is the primary threat of online privacy. We don't know what information could get tracked, no matter how harmless it may seem. We don't know when this information could fall into the wrong hands or be sold to dishonest entities. Moreover, we may be completely ignorant about how much of it is used for surveillance. In such a scenario, privacy is only a Utopian concept. Years ago, there was a scandal about the US government tapping into citizens’ phone lines. The same thing happens today. The only difference is that phone lines are now replaced by our online profiles.
Hence, in the last few years, there has been
much hue and cry over this very issue. Questions about how much of our
information can be used by companies and whether what is shared online is
public or private information vex our collective conscience.
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| Users today are always being watched on the internet |
Politically too this debate has seen more
relevance, especially in India. As of 2017, privacy is a right guaranteed by
the constitution of India. It had already been enforced in other countries, if
not as a separate right then at least by implication as in the US constitution.
This right is integral in that no government ruling or policy can violate it.
It is inalienable and fundamental to the existence of humans in today's
zeitgeist.
Giving further impetus to the concept of online
privacy is the Information Technology Act, 2000, which consists of several
provisions that make cyber crimes punishable by law and provides redressal
mechanisms for grievances that involve the use of internet. The Act, in many
ways, safeguards online privacy and defines the rules governing data
protection. However, many claim that the Act is outdated as it leaves out many
instances involving the use of social media and information shared on it.
Moreover, the implementation of the same has serious gaps due to which many
cyber crimes go unchecked in India.
Furthermore, the entire concept of online
privacy and data protection in India received much more attention in light of
the Aadhar and it's apparent potential for mass surveillance. An Indian citizen
has to mandatorily provide many details in order to acquire an Aadhar card.
These details get stored and generate an interlinked user profile that can be
accessed online as well. But the looming threats of data breaches and identity
theft have aroused much suspicion related to Aadhar. The details can be misused
by private companies for personal profit. The government can also exploit it
for their own gains. These details are so valuable that companies and
organizations are willing to pay for access to it.
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| The potential of Aadhar for mass surveillance aroused a lot of opposition in India |
Hence, in a recent ruling, Aadhar, which was mandatory for availing most services like bank loans, accounts etc., was made completely voluntary, especially in light of right to privacy being incorporated into the law. Protecting user data is of utmost priority now given the number of data leaks that have been reported.
The debate about online privacy is also not
complete without reference to the role of private companies in protecting
personal data. The Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data scandal of 2018 made the
biggest ripples when it broke out. It revealed that Cambridge Analytica had
harvested the personal data of millions of Facebook users without their consent
and used it to gain political advantage for the Trump campaign. This is just the tip of the iceberg. There were numerous instances of data leaks from all over the world in 2018.
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In light of these major scandals, it has become
important to formulate proper laws and regulations so that the citizens can
feel secure about the data they share online. Of course, companies and
government will require customer data in order to build a profile and make the
process quicker. However, it must have an airtight security system in place
that can prevent leaks. These institutions should be governed by strict laws
that prohibit misuse of information and selling it for political and/or
commercial gains. Privacy advocates have been asking for such legislation for
quite some time but given the number of leaks that happened in 2018, the
movement has gained momentum.
I can only hope that in 2019 the government
which will come to power takes strides with regards to online privacy laws. The
Indian citizen today is more digitally aware and connected. He/She exists in
the digital sphere as an actual person. So, protecting the right to privacy is
extremely crucial in order to set the tone for future generations which may
live in a far more integrated digital world than us.
References:
https://cis-india.org/telecom/knowledge-repository-on-internet-access/internet-privacy-in-india
https://elplaw.in/leadership/data-protection-privacy-issues-in-india/
https://www.fastcompany.com/90272858/how-our-data-got-hacked-scandalized-and-abused-in-2018
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