Computer privacy is a complex issue with debates surrounding the definition of privacy, internet logging protocols, and changing perceptions. Users’ activities are monitored, and citizens are more comfortable giving information to private companies than the government. However, companies must keep data private and secure, which can limit marketing efforts. Users must provide personal information to use technology, and social networking sites often make user profiles public by default.
When people talk about computer privacy, they are usually referring to keeping a user’s information online secure and private. The issues surrounding computer privacy are many. Problems can arise simply trying to define “privacy” in the digital world. Debates may also arise from Internet logging protocols, changing perceptions of what “privacy” means among private citizens, and growing technological advances.
One of the major issues surrounding computer privacy is the ongoing debate about what digital privacy is. Technology evolves and advances at a rapid pace and citizens adopt technology in step, so the concept of cyber privacy can change meaning as new technology develops and presents new problems for its users. Lawmakers and legislators may find this as a hindrance as they seek to legally protect citizens and their information, while still providing them with the freedom to access it.
Those who participate in digital environments often have their activities monitored. Internet Protocol (IP) addresses can identify users’ computers, and in some cases, search engine websites can store information about user queries for more than a year. The public visibility of these activities is a point of contention, as is the question of who controls the reproduction of these visible activities. For example, the ethics of posting and circulating a picture of someone on the Internet is often a subject of debate.
Interestingly, most citizens are more comfortable giving information to private companies, rather than the government, and letting it be stored indefinitely. This could help companies establish and maintain long-term relationships with customers, but their responsibilities also increase. Customers expect their data, whether personal, financial or professional, to be kept private and secure from others. Therefore, companies could invest in computer privacy by securing their databases and encrypting information, but some business practices could suffer. Marketing efforts can be severely limited if customers do not want their information sold, traded or used for that purpose.
Computer privacy finds another hurdle as the use of technology can mean that users must first provide personal information about themselves. For example, to use a social networking website, users typically need to create accounts and provide certain identifying information during the registration process, such as an email address which may be needed to create a profile. Many users do not fully understand how their information will be collected and distributed from then on. To complicate matters, social networking sites often make user profiles public by default, leaving a user’s personal information in full view for anyone to access. The growing requirement for users to provide identifying information and have it publicly viewed is a continuing cause for concern among privacy advocates.
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