What if houses had no doors and hospital examination rooms were open spaces with no blinds? It’s a cringing thought, right? That’s because as humans we value our physical privacy and space. It’s therefore astonishing that we don’t give the same value to online privacy. Most of us are ignorant of what it means or what the big fuss is about anyway. If you fall in this category, then this article is a must-read for you, because we’ll explain to you why online privacy is vital in this day and age.
What is Online Privacy?
Before we dive into the reasons, we’d like to take a minute to briefly describe what we mean by online privacy. At least, for those of you who may not be aware. Based on your understanding of privacy, online privacy simply refers to how private your details are when you are online. This is in terms of your financial, personal, and browsing data. Seeing as the internet is made up of extensive information, you can understand that data is something very valuable on the internet. That is why some people are willing to steal and sell this information. That’s where online privacy comes in.
But this is not to be confused with information security. The latter involves measures taken to protect your data against unauthorized access and malicious attacks. Let’s take social media as an example. Your account password falls under information security. How your information is handled or accessed on social media has to do with online privacy, also referred to as digital or internet privacy.
Main Reasons Online Privacy Is So Important.
Prevent Social Media Data Breaches.
Some of us spend hours on end on social media platforms. We share a lot of information about ourselves and our loved ones daily, with some sharing more than necessary. Data like these are valuable for cybercriminals or someone vindictive. That is why social media platforms are required to put privacy settings in place to prevent the data you share from being breached or accessed without consent.
Safeguards from Identity Theft.
Identity is a very important thing for each of us. We need to prove our identities when applying for loans, passports, visas, or even enrolling into a school. There is a lot of damage that can be done if someone was to get details of your identity. They could take loans in your name, clear your bank account, and conduct many other criminal practices. Because, we are constantly sharing our details online, be it on social media or signing up to different platforms. Online privacy becomes important. It protects our details and prevents anyone from assuming our identity.
Protects businesses from Cyber Crimes.
In this digital age, many businesses have begun seeing the importance of having an online presence. It is, however, equally risky for them because they are major targets for cyber-attacks. Without online privacy, these cybercriminals could easily get information shared about businesses online. This could put the business at risk of losing money or having its brand spoilt.
Limits the power anyone has over you
They say that a lot goes on behind closed doors, the same goes for online activities. There may be information, images, or activities online that we wouldn’t want to leak to anyone else. The reason is that someone could use it to blackmail you, or it could ruin the reputation you’ve built over a long time. That is why online privacy is important, to prevent such information from getting into the wrong hands. It also prevents governments and businesses from unethically spying on you and using your data to control your choices and actions. That line is, however, becoming increasingly blurred in the name of profiling.
Protects your freedom of expression while maintaining social boundaries.
In the same way, we have a home where we can feel safe and be ourselves, we also need an online space where we can be open about our opinions and who we are. Many people may be afraid because of the possibility that what they share could be used against them. That is where online privacy comes in. It gives you the freedom to share what your want as long as it does not infringe on the privacy of other inline users. That is how it also maintains social boundaries and prevents any friction from occurring online.
Final Words.
Now that you understand the importance of online privacy, you need to be more responsible and vigilant about it. It doesn’t matter whether you are simply streaming your favorite movie online, ensure your online privacy by using legitimate sites like https://u1337x.org/ .