The Internet: Revolutionizing Lives, But Not Without Risk - Essay Sample

Introduction

The advent of the internet has revolutionized peoples’ lives throughout the world. Much has been achieved through the use of the internet due to the capacity of information and data that is uploaded online by the users. The Internet has proved to be the fastest way of linking people, but, unfortunately, it is not the safest; thus, an individual is exposed to security risks of information and data when they choose to be online. It has been established that most internet users least care about what they feed onto the internet regarding their online privacy since they are unaware of the impending security risks associated with it. In this internet era, consumers have assumed it reasonable to give up fundamental elements related to their privacy in a bid to enhance their convenience in using their internet-enabled gadgets. People even forget or ignore to read the privacy policies of the website that require them to agree or disagree, thus making them vulnerable to exposure to the public.

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Some people deliberately compromise their online privacy by surrendering it for exchange with gains that are short term instead of opting out the cookies. It implies that they have gradually fallen victim to involuntary acceptance controlled and monitored by data corporations and government. Therefore, it becomes stressful for people to privately search on how to buy stuff, connect with others, or get access to certain news. Some of the significant internet privacy issues are the mishandling of information, snooping, and tracking of peoples’ locations (Alexandra, 1). It is through the above that peoples’ privacy gets violated.

Internet privacy issues have been made worse by the existence of various social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and search engines such as Google and Duck Duck Go available for browsing. The above cuts across all ages, especially for those people who have accounts with the mentioned platforms. For instance, Google collects a lot of information and data. Companies with websites also force people to accept their cookies in a bid to serve them with highly relevant advertisements, which mandates that an individual should possess an encrypted online connection.

When an individual is online, they get tracked by the companies of websites they browse for various reasons. As such, those companies keep a record of the search history and all the online activities that one goes through. It is through the above information and data that they become aware of personal interests, which is prohibited by the law since they convert people into their property for their benefit. Such companies use cookie profiling, among other techniques, to develop a detailed profile of browsing habits. The companies can then use the information to show advertisements according to a person’s interests and tastes. However, in other cases, the information is used by cybercriminals to carry out illegal activities that threaten a person’s presence online.

Majority of the sites browsed by individuals on the internet request personal information, particularly their email identity and the number of years in a bid to access their services. The websites have cookies that are used to store personal information and later convert it to their benefits. It is only a few sites that have personal information encrypted and cannot be accessed by anyone (Chen et al., 297). Among online aspects that have increased the vulnerability of an individual’s internet privacy are the modern e-banking and e-business portals. They have immensely multiplied the risks associated with online privacy, such as theft identity. Here cybercriminals use phishing techniques, spyware, and malware to intrude into personal accounts and devices.

The majority of the internet-enabled devices that we use in the modern days come with the location feature by default. Together with the help of Google Maps, they ask you to permit them to access your location. The above implies that they will have first-hand information concerning your movements. Location features have even been enhanced on social media where people upload posts with their current location highlighted; however, the data does not remain restricted to the third parties.

Internet consumers are so much concerned about their online privacy and companies being knowledgeable about their confidential information and secrets. However, the same individuals are powerless and often succumb to privacy invasion because they lack another alternative that grants them their online privacy and safety (Mineo n.p). For instance, people might claim to treasure their privacy but end up posting on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram sensitive information they are optioned to withdraw.

Generally, critical behaviors that have resulted in breaching one’s internet privacy include the use of the same credentials while accessing their multiple accounts, which makes it easy for hackers to reach other accounts. People have also been logged into some websites for quite a long time. People even end up getting into sites without necessarily reading through their terms and conditions. Lastly, people risk opening attachments that are suspicious and going ahead to download malicious files just in exchange for personal information.

Works cited

Alexandra, Susan. 3 Major Internet Privacy Issues and How to Avoid Them. 3 Sept. 2019, securitytoday.com/Articles/2019/09/03/3-Major-Internet-Privacy-Issues-and-How-to-Avoid-Them.aspx?Page=1.

Chen, Hongliang, Christopher E. Beaudoin, and Traci Hong. "Securing online privacy: An empirical test on Internet scam victimization, online privacy concerns, and privacy protection behaviors." Computers in Human Behavior 70 (2017): 291-302.

Mineo, Liz. “When It Comes to Internet Privacy, Be Very Afraid, Analyst Suggests.” Harvard Gazette, Harvard Gazette, 21 Mar. 2019, news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/08/when-it-comes-to-internet-privacy-be-very-afraid-analyst-suggests/.