Data breaching in the current world of technology

Data breaching in the current world of technology

Data breaching has been a major problem in the current world of technology; privacy has been at high risk. Being a digital age, people are always expected to provide their intimate details to the relevant authorities hoping that the information will be secured and used for legitimate purposes by the authorities. However, in some cases, the information is leaked to third parties who use the data to rob, manipulate, and prejudice the owners. The transgress over people’s privacy in the internet media has brought about discussions and debates regarding the surety of privacy in the digital age. Thus, the paper herein presents a discussion on cases regarding privacy violation and how the security of privacy can be improved in online environments.

Biometric Dangers

There has been a primary concern about the fate of the current digital age, where society preserves biometric data. According to Wong Kelly (2020), biometric data has been a loophole of penalizing people who lack appropriate technology and finance to protect their privacy in Biometric. The discrimination of Nazi Germany between 1933 to 1944 is a clear example of how data collected to track minority can have a great influence. Though Some researchers argue that biometric data secures the privacy of its users, it is a software that can be hacked and abused by IT experts—for instance, being that every citizen in Brazil must be included in the biometrical database. In 2017, the Brazilian Federal Police in coalition with the Electoral Court made a deal for sharing the database without informing the citizens (Aranha et al. 2019). This act was a clear illustration of how Biometric might danger the privacy of an individual.

Profiling of Marginalized

Online profiling of marginalized groups has enabled the police to assault the privacy of strategic subjects in some countries. In the modern age, online profiling has made it easy for the police to target a specific gender, ethnicity, and age group. Research done by Cherney et al. (2017) states that the police’s actions involve compromising the privacy of these people. For example, the Chicago police department designed a strategic subject list that they can use to predict potential perpetrators. As a result, this system has led to the violation of the privacy of many youths who were not guilty though were included in the list. Similarly, China has designed a system known as “Police Cloud,” which is capable of tracking different marginalized groups. However, some police officers have been using the information they obtain from these systems to rob and con the users.

Search and Seizure of Digital Property

The government sometimes uses internet censorship to control the public’s beliefs. In some developed countries, the government uses the private information of activists, political opponents, and bloggers to silence and harass them on the internet. The government may sometimes intimidate rebellious individuals or groups using their private information. For instance, Poell et al. (2017) report that in major protests such as the Umbrella Movement, Occupy protests and the Arab Spring, the government used the data extracted from the mobile phones of the protesters to track and dissuade them. Since the law governing Search and Seizure of Digital Property does not exist in most countries, the privacy of many internet users has been compromised.

Similarly, the digital age has made it simple for the government to remove the contents they dislike from the internet. In countries such as China and Turkey, people who express their opinions on the internet are censored. In the recent past, a bill that allows the court to remove contents from online platforms in Israel was introduced. Such laws violate the privacy of individuals because the government has continuously monitored online users’ conversations without their permission.

Efforts to protect privacy

First, even though the government sometimes infiltrates the privacy of internet users, they also help in protecting digital rights. Most countries are struggling to ensure that they implement legislations that protects the privacy of online users. The following are some of the data protection measures that most governments provides to their citizens: First, informing the citizens on the use of private information being collected from them. Second, Enacting laws that guarantees cybersecurity. Third, establishing an oversight and regulating user consent on the internet. Lastly, Use of machines that provides voters with the rights to privacy while conducting elections.

Second, Regardless of the negative trends in the digital age, there has been multinational collaboration to establish privacy-by-design controls that can be used to protect sensitive data of the internet users. For instance in 2018, European Union implemented the General Data Protection Regulation that expects individuals to have control of their data without interference (Eriksson Sofia, 2019). Besides, the regulation ensures that organizations that collects data have data protection experts who will ensure that privacy of the users are upheld. The International Conference for Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners has also been offering more solutions on how to improve data security and privacy among the internet users.

Lastly, online businesses has also come forth in protecting the privacy of their customers. According to Fu Tao (2019), most businesses are using Data-driven technology, which standardizes privacy policies. This technology plays an important role in ensuring that the secondary service providers does not misuse private data of the customers. In addition, Businesses Company such as Facebook have improved their customer’s privacy by allowing them to delete accounts that they no longer use. The adoption of encryption services such as pins, passwords and patterns by businesses have helped in improving customer privacy. Lastly, block chain technology has also established financial networks that are free from government interference. Therefore, efforts by businesses to improve digital privacy has been of great importance to both internet users and organizations.

In conclusion, since the advent of a digital society, the privacy of many internet users have been in doubt. The paper has discussed some of the digital aspects that have been used to violate the privacy of internet users. Biometric Dangers, Profiling of Marginalized Groups, and Seizure of Digital Property has been addressed as some of the loopholes putting the privacy of online users at risk. However, the study has discussed some of the measures that has been undertaken by different organizations to protect the privacy of internet users in this digital age.