Online Privacy and Data Security: New Ethical Concerns

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The GDPR is the single most critical piece of privacy legislation passed in the last few years.

For a long time, data access, storage, and usage has been a major privacy concern.

The GDPR is based on the idea that users should have control over how their data is used and processed.

However, it appears that most tech giants’ privacy efforts are motivated solely by enforcement and the threat of prosecution, rather than a sincere desire to keep users’ data secure. This sometimes resulted in run-ins with the law. If governments and companies do not address the privacy issue now, the total size of digital data will be 175 zettabytes by 2025. There will be no better time than now to do so.

WhatsApp recently unveiled a contentious new privacy policy that allows it to exchange data with Facebook companies while still forcing users to agree to it. What are the potential consequences of such policy changes? How do businesses maintain transparency and accountability in the face of growing privacy concerns?

User Control

Consumers are becoming more mindful of their internet privacy rights, as shown by the uproar against WhatsApp. Everyone is aware that companies obtain data from customers who visit their websites and use their apps. The usage and preservation of the data collected are the main concerns. How do businesses treat customer information? Who should be in charge of the information?

Consumers should be able to choose whether or not they want their data used in a specific way, and as knowledge grows, more people are demanding this right.

There’s also the question of businesses keeping their promises and implementing data protection policies that are proportional to the sensitivity and amount of consumer data they receive. Cyber-attackers are attracted to businesses that collect highly personal data (mostly financial and health information) or large amounts of data (social media companies and search engines). Huge data breaches at Facebook, Google, and Microsoft have already shown this.

Personalization and advertisements

This adds to the widespread belief that the dangers of collecting personal data outweigh the benefits, as expressed by 81 percent of Americans polled about 13 months ago. Companies also collect data in order to monitor consumers for targeted advertising, and people have become increasingly dissatisfied with such tailored ads due to concerns about over monitoring.

Though completely disabling personalization is a lofty goal that will almost certainly never be realized, this author claims that “what marketers can’t do anymore is share their dossiers about you with ad-tech companies and advertisers. As a result, data brokers will have even less access to your personal information.”

Since no one has ever considered these ethical questions before, they are not fresh. However, ordinary people are now at the forefront of the online privacy battle against data-collection firms. These businesses now face a more difficult challenge in gaining consumer confidence and, even more frighteningly, compliance with legislation in order to escape harsh penalties.

To conclude, companies should be more cautious about the details they exchange with brands, and businesses should be more responsible about how they manage customer data. Meanwhile, more data security laws are expected to emerge around the world. With the GDPR, Europe has taken a significant step forward, which must be repeated in other countries and regions.

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