As the size of the digital world grows exponentially, so does the need to protect our private data online.

This article looks at what governments are doing about it, what we can do ourselves, and what still needs to be done to ensure our privacy and safety on the Internet.

What is online privacy and why is it important?

Privacy is often understood as 'being alone and free from interference.' Online privacy, in essence, means maintaining this state while using the Internet.

It is being online, secure in the knowledge that your personal data is protected and your behavior is not being tracked or monitored without your knowledge or consent.

Offline, unauthorized monitoring is mostly considered illegal and inadmissible as evidence, apart from a few exceptions. But online, such activity is hard to detect and difficult to police.

The right to privacy is a fundamental right that everyone should be able to enjoy and that is why online privacy is so important.

The repercussions when online privacy breaks down can also include a serious risk to our safety, security, and mental well-being. Examples include;

Harassment – being trolled by strangers because of private details being made public. Cyberbullying is one such form of harassment.

Extortion – using compromising online information to demand money from someone.

Swatting – false reporting of a serious law enforcement emergency, designed to scare, endanger, and inconvenience the victim.

Burglary – data revealing someone’s movements and whereabouts can be used by thieves to target homes and businesses.

Identity theft – personal information made public can be used by scammers to impersonate people and steal from them.

The right to Internet privacy is fundamental as it allows you to control your identity and personal information. Without it, you would be at the mercy of others and your identity would be lost. Online privacy is a shared responsibility between individuals and governments to establish robust frameworks that protect privacy while ensuring security in our digital interactions.

Our role as individuals

It’s not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’ you’ll experience a cyberattack. However, adopting a range of protective measures now can maintain data privacy and help reduce the likelihood of an attack in the future. 

Cybersecurity precautions you can take as an individual can include;

• Using strong passwords, with a different one for every account.
• Being careful about what you post online and on social media.
• Not accepting tracking cookies when visiting websites.
• Not using public Wi-Fi to conduct private transactions on your device such as banking. 
• Not clicking on unknown links in emails and text messages.
• Not entering contests or agreeing to participate in online surveys.
• Not shopping on unsecured websites.
• Installing a VPN (Virtual Private Network) on your devices.
• Avoiding or minimizing your use of IoT appliances (those connected to the Internet), as they are constantly monitoring and gathering data on you.

The role of government

So, what are governments doing about online privacy? Some would argue not enough. In fairness, efforts are being made globally to strengthen cybersecurity laws.

Examples of this include the Australian Government’s Online Safety Bill 2021, which makes online service providers more accountable for the safety of their users.    

And the UK government’s plan to give more power to its media regulator to impose larger fines on non-compliant social media sites.

But some people think governments should be doing far more to protect our privacy online. For example, the World Wide Web Foundation  established by web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee, believes that to create a world where everyone can use the web freely and safely, governments need to:

• Introduce comprehensive data protection laws, making companies accountable for their collection and use of personal data.
• Give people the right to control their own data, including the right to access and remove it and to seek redress for its misuse.
• Require companies to regularly demonstrate they are managing personal data correctly and safely.
• Enforce the laws they pass and hold companies accountable if they fail to comply.
• Practice what they preach by ensuring their own policies and practices are privacy-protective.

Conclusion

With the amount of online data growing exponentially, governments must act quickly to have any hope of controlling the privacy issue.

But many are behind the eight ball, regulating on the run and using outdated technologies and skill sets to try and manage the problem until the right expertise emerges.   

On top of this, governments (those in the free world at least) have to walk a fine line, striking a delicate balance between protecting people’s privacy and security and maintaining their basic freedoms.  

So the policies and regulations they create must protect us from harm, without restricting public access to Internet services, stifling free speech, or negatively impacting economic growth.

It’s a monumental task, but it must be done, and the sooner the better. Yes, there may be instances of over-regulation and unworkable legislation along the way, but action must be taken.

Because the alternative - leaving it to market forces to fix or assuming privacy is a luxury we no longer have - is not only irresponsible but dangerous as well.