Understanding Digital Privacy and How to Protect Yourself Online

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Introduction - The Myth of Privacy

Has it ever happened to you that you have been browsing something on the web or on the internet like a pair of shoes and then you get existing advertisement about these same kinds of shoes displaying on every corner? It is an ordinary case when you can ask a question: do we control our own personal information? Digital privacy is more significant today as we explore the world of the internet, and knowing about it is crucial.

What Is Digital Privacy?

So, what is “Digital Privacy”? Put simply, digital privacy can be described as the way the personal data is exchanged via different apps, tools, and sites. Whenever we log on the internet, we leave a data trail behind us. This information can contain everything about us, from what we browse to what we like to do. This can also include personal information such as our locations and even payment credentials. So, what does this mean to us as users and our privacy? It means that our data can be exposed and to prevent this from happening we need to take some steps.

Data Collection – How Your Data Has been Collected

Before moving on to the steps, let’s understand how our data is collected.

• Applications: Most mobile applications ask to access the information that they do not actually require such as your contacts or geographical location.

• Trackers and Browsers: Websites have in place the tracking technology to collect information regarding your online activities. This is usually carried out by use of cookies which are tiny bits of information that are stored into your device.

• Social Media: Oftentimes when we share and post online, we have a tendency of sharing with more people than we want. However, the privacy settings can assist with this by making changes in the specific application.

• Data Mining and Surveillance Capitalism: These names are probably a little difficult to understand, yet they refer to simple concepts. Data mining refers to the act of searching large quantities of data with a view to identifying repetitions such as your interests. Surveillance capitalism on the other hand is the act of the businesses exploiting the user data collected in such a way to design personal ads and shape our choices.

Is it Possible to remain Private on the Internet?

Luckily, one can recall some simple steps to maintain digital privacy:

1. Be New to App Permissions: Get to know the permission you gave to your apps on a regular basis. Make sure to check what permissions you have allowed the app to access.

2. Use Better Passwords: Don’t use simple passwords. Use complicated passwords and try to manage passwords using a password manager to help you keep track of your passwords.

3. Being alert on Social Media: Be cautious on what you share. Small updates could expose information that can compromise your privacy.

Conclusion - Does Privacy No Longer Exist?

When we take some time to look at the digital environment, we are easily hit with the realization that things have changed, and privacy may have been left in the past. But the fact here is that privacy is not being lost completely, it is only a matter of being alert. The digital age is a bit scary though, and by making small measures to ensure the protection of our information, we can have some aspect of privacy.