Internet Privacy: Is There Such a Thing?

The right to privacy has become infringed in the world of internet. Many have heard this question if there is such a thing as internet privacy. The answer is that it is undeniably true that there is no such thing as internet privacy. When anything gets posted on the web then that's it, it stops being private. Anything stored on Google drive, one drive, and Box.net among other cloud storage websites stops being private ("Here's The Truth about Internet "Privacy": There Is No Such Thing"). The knowledge of how such stuff remains online over several years should change our approach on how we use the internet. The world has become a village as a result of the web. We are just no longer limited geographically but also communication wise through social media.

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The technical explanation behind uniquely recognizing web users originated in 1994 with the onset of the cookie in the Netscape browser. As the user goes and loads a web page, all necessary information get displayed on the page in the form of layout, images, and texts (Merkel). However, some data also leak "cookie" from the user's computer and gets stored on the browser. In the future, upon request to load the same web page, the browser attaches the cookie. The cookie indicates that the request came from the same computer. The harm of data collection from the users includes data theft and hacking of accounts such as online bank accounts. In some cases, some fall victims of stalkers as their internet spy cams release all information to their perpetrators. Some get their secrets leaked online leading to damage of their public reputation and even loss of jobs. Several cyber-crimes have taken place as a result of cookies, and some have plunged into depression as a result of cyberbullying.

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Several users are simply unaware of what happens in the background when they are enthusiastically engaged in browsing activities. They do not know that their history of browsing is being readily available and shared to a third party. In attempts to curb sharing of users' information without consent, some tools have been created to manage cookies. Some have been merged with browsers while others on third party privacy tools.

Cookies have to be managed either by deleting or controlling the data accessed by them and get sent to specific websites. It enables the user to have more control over the degree of monitoring. Also, developers of browsers have come up with a professional response incorporated with legal measures like the privacy directive by the European Union ("Privacy on the Internet: There Is No Such Thing as a Free Lunch"). In adherence to these rules, all cookies potentially deployed in a privacy invading manner have to obtain explicit consent and disclose this fact to all its web site visitors. Users can install add-ons in their browsers that tell them which information are shared with advertising networks, interactions with social media sites and any analytics utilized in improving the website experience.

However, adherence to such laws and regulations may be not assured, and therefore the only way towards comprehensive prevention of getting spied on is not using smart devices or the internet alongside free services that access data which is sensitive for advertisement purpose. There is a need for creation of awareness to Web users as they need to know that their data gets continuously shared the moment they let it out on the internet. The government alongside lobby groups that aim to protect user confidentiality should help in this initiative to control content shared without consent.

Works cited

"Here's The Truth about Internet "Privacy": There Is No Such Thing." Serene Adventure.net. Web. 22 Mar. 2017.

Merkel, Robert. "There's No Such Thing as Privacy on the Internet Anymore." Washington Post. N.p., 2014. Web. 22 Mar. 2017.

"Privacy On The Internet: There Is No Such Thing As A Free Lunch". Blog.avast.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 22 Mar. 2017.