How the Internet Forever Changed Privacy

Because of mass media, the Internet influenced how privacy is managed. The Internet started opening channels of communication that we’ve never used before and distributed data at speed through various outlets and People Finder options. For protection or personal identification using NordVPN, there was no layer built into the Internet. Without this layer, it was never going to be straightforward to make a choice about when and why to disclose such data.

However, the Internet seemed convincing, and these relatively minute problems were overlooked, and we all welcomed the power that the Internet offered us as individuals and companies. Eventually, practically everyone had a website; companies digitized their processes and all their products and services online for everyone to use. It was this process and task digitization that forced us to disclose personal information, which brought privacy into the spotlight.

The idea of privacy itself has not changed in the new age. It is natural for individuals to exhibit control over who has control over their personal information. In fact, with the emergence of new technologies, this need to exhibit control of ownership and privacy over our personal information has increased. A recent survey by a consulting firm in South American reveals that over 90% of the Adults in America feel that they’ve lost control over their personal data online, with over 85% trying to mask their online transactions.

The Opt-in/ Opt-out saga

There has been a lifelong debate over the years about the opt-in and opt-out option that pops up during the sign-up process on web forms. The heart of this saga is the user’s consent, i.e., the choice of the user to reveal certain vital information. These options give companies and technology developers the sole permission to use the person’s personal information such as email address, name and so on to contact them, mainly for advert purposes. Advocates for opt-in prefer the opt-in choice because it requires a user the right to agree or not.

Tracking and cookies

Cookies were developed to make browsing the net easier by keeping information like preferences in your local browser. Therefore when you go back to the same browser, your information is reused to make the website simpler. However, there is another form of cookies known as tracking cookies, which has a great impact on your privacy. You can configure these cookies to collect personal information and send it back to the host for reuse and analysis. Tracking cookies are mostly used to profile users’ online behavior and leverage on them to market back to you. The use of this hybrid of cookies is predominantly used in the new technologies developed in this century and decade. You’ll notice this kind of tracking after visiting a website, for example, Amazon, then when you visit a new site after amazon, you’ll see an Amazon ad popping on your screen trying to call your attention back to the site.

This is done through the use of Google tracking cookies. Google can cross-match your online presence between sites and use your personal information and preferences to target market ads to you based on your browsing history.