Does Online Privacy Exist?
It’s hard to believe that with the current high level of technology specifically in developed countries, online privacy is still weak. Even though, people are learning about the insecurity of sharing their private information online and paying attention to it; many people are yet unaware of the severe consequences of sharing their information online.
For instance, some teenagers tend to share their stories, pictures and many other personal things on their Facebook pages, without even thinking about its side effects. “Kids and teenagers often self-reveal before they self-reflect” a quote from an article called “Sharing, With a Safety Net” by Somini Sangupta, published in New York Times. Thus, via Facebook and other online sites, it is easy for anyone including professionals to access information about personal lives of teenagers who may be applying to colleges and jobs; and this may have negative consequences, for instance reaching to negative information could change a college admission’s decision in accepting a student.
In addition, in some case online privacy could even be life threatening. According to an article called “photos of Rehtaeh in dating ad highlight lack of online privacy” on CTV News, Rehtaeh, a 17-year-old teenager in Canada committed suicide because her photo was taken and put on an online dating ads on Facebook, under the following heading: “ Find Love in Canada…” This has been an upsetting story to many readers and an evidence to make the point that online privacy doesn’t really exist. Professor Robert Currie of Dalhousie University’s Law and Technology Institute says: “It’s an example of how little control anyone has over any image once it gets out to the internet sphere.”
Online Privacy is an issue in many countries. However the danger of online privacy is extensive in developed countries with the highest number of users. America is one of the countries with an increasing number of people sharing information online according to an article called “Study finds online privacy concerns on the rise.” However, the good point is that people have been seeking various methods to protect their privacy online. Drumm, a college student says that she is more worried about her family reaching in to the information that she would only be sharing with her friends otherwise. So, she has found some ways to hide her activities online. On the other hand, considering the lack of online security in some developing countries, they are highly wary of sharing information online. It is even hard for reporters to interview people to share their views on local news, surveys or any other form of publication.
