Do you like it when someone watches your every move, every second? No, right? You need privacy. You want to do things at your own pace and not want anyone to know about your personal information. But the digital world made it a little tricky. With the increase in technology, your privacy is affected a lot. The collection of personal data is an important business strategy these days. You have every right to protect your privacy. For every phone call you make, every online payment, and every online search, your data is stored and even used by corporate and government agencies. Social media is also involved in the collection of personal data. To be aware of these and protect yourself from them, let’s see the Ten Reasons About How Our Privacy Is Affected by the Increase in Technology:
1. Internet
Everyone uses the internet. It might be for school/college assignments or projects or to know a movie or anything. The Internet is a solution for everything. You may think your browsing data is private. But you’re wrong! On websites, have you seen a pop-up to accept cookies? Most of us probably don’t even read it and click agree. These websites use these cookies to track your website’s visits, time and date of visit, what types of products you like, etc. Sometimes it can even see your password! So be careful.
2. Social Media
You might have forgotten to eat, but never forget to use social media. You might have to use many social media for free. Well, you think it’s free. The cost is your personal information! You see a product, and suddenly, in ads, you know the link to buy the product. Is it a coincidence? NO! They are using your information for their business. So, understand that in social media you’re giving your personal information.
3. Surveillance
How do you feel when someone is watching you 24×7? Irritating right? But we are being watched. Surveillance is beneficial in catching criminals and preventing criminal activities. But ordinary people are also affected by it. Audio recordings, photography, and video recordings are used for those activities. Even if you’re not a criminal, you will be in these. We can’t avoid it.
4. Medical Industry
Our medical information is essential. As everything becomes digitalized, we started to store health-related data online. Thus, the privacy of your data is not safe. In hospitals, there is a privacy protection law. So, our personal information is not disclosed. But when it comes to online, our privacy can’t be confirmed. So, try to avoid storing health-related data online.
5. Location Tracking
Are you okay if anyone can know your whereabouts every time? A big NOO!! Right. We don’t want that. Technology made it easy. Your mobile phone can give away that information. Your mobile phone holds the location information. There are many location-tracking technologies available on mobile phones that may cause physical harm to the user.
6. Internet Of Things
The Internet of things denotes all the devices connected to the internet. Most of these devices contain chips that can be read from a certain distance, and some of these chips are embedded in the barcode of a product. So, whenever you use that device or have that product containing that chip, anyone can track you with that chip. So, be careful!
7. E-Government
E-Government is a different word, right? You may wonder if does government also becomes online. No, not now, at least. Government measures and services became online. With the advancement of technology, anything can happen, right? Updating your Aadhar card, pan card, etc., or joining any two cards and many more can be done online. Thus, our private information comes online, so it’s easy to take it without our permission.
8. Voice-Activated Devices
Everyone has a smartphone nowadays. If you don’t believe me, walk down the street and see they should have a mobile phone in their hands, most probably not seeing the road. With mobile phones, there is high doubt that they hear us constantly. It’s still a suspicion and not proven. So, it’s good to be cautious.
9. Business
Businesses are the ones that get the most benefit from technology whether social media or the internet, the user’s data is helpful for the business. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, we gave our data. And business people use it for their benefit. They sell their product according to our interest and needs by showing ads etc.
10. Workplace
In the workplace also, privacy is affected. To ensure efficiency and productivity, the employer can supervise the work. But beyond that, employees are being spied on without any work-related reason. This violates the legal management concerns. There is an extent to which the employer can monitor the employees. If it was crossed, the employee’s privacy would be at risk. With the increase in technology, it was easily crossed.
