In today's digital age, concerns over online privacy have reached unprecedented levels. Individuals are increasingly aware of the risks associated with having their personal information shared on the internet. A recent report by Statista highlights this growing anxiety, with 39% of respondents worried about how companies use their online data. This trend is prompting many to take proactive steps to safeguard their digital identities.
Vytautas Kaziukonis, chief executive at Surfshark, is vocal about the underappreciation of privacy in the digital landscape. He emphasizes that sharing personal information online can be a "deadly combination," especially as fraud becomes more sophisticated.
"Fraud is getting better and better, and one thing that is essential for all scams is having data." – Vytautas Kaziukonis
This sentiment echoes the worries of many internet users who are increasingly cautious about their online footprint.
Ms. Anita Smith exemplifies this cautious approach. While she maintains a LinkedIn account, she opts not to use her full name to protect her identity. Her vigilance extends to her original private Facebook account, which she meticulously cleanses once a year.
"I cleanse it once a year, and check on photos and privacy of posts and where I have been tagged." – Anita Smith
Smith has also taken significant measures to minimize her online presence, including removing Instagram accounts and location data from posts.
"I erased my online presence as much as I possibly could, including removing the locations of some posts, and a couple of Instagram accounts." – Anita Smith
Amanda Unterreiner shares similar concerns. Her experience with privacy policy documents revealed the complexity and inaccessibility of these texts for the average user. One such document required 32 minutes to read and college-level education to comprehend. Her findings underscore the challenges individuals face in understanding how companies handle their data.
Unterreiner's online journey led her to discover alarming amounts of personal information readily available on the internet.
"You could see every other place I had ever lived, every phone number I've ever had, every email address, on the first page of Google. If someone wanted to steal my identity… they would be able to cause some real personal damage." – Amanda Unterreiner
Despite these revelations, Unterreiner maintains a presence on Facebook but limits her posts to twice a year to minimize exposure.
In response to these concerns, tech giants like Google have introduced services to enhance user privacy. For instance, Google allows users to mask their houses on Google Maps and offers tools to prevent search tracking. Karen Renaud, a computing scientist at the University of Strathclyde, acknowledges these efforts:
"Also, you can stop some tracking. Google, for example, makes it possible to prevent tracking of your searches." – Karen Renaud
These measures reflect a growing recognition of the need for greater transparency and control over personal data.
Gus Hosein, executive director at Privacy International, advocates for several strategies to reduce one's digital footprint. These include being mindful of what personal information is shared online and taking proactive steps to protect sensitive details.
Kaziukonis advises against sharing home addresses or sensitive information in online videos or shopping profiles. He stresses the importance of being vigilant about where personal details are stored.
"Don't share your home address anywhere, for example, accidently filming a video with a laptop in the background that has sensitive information on, and when you go online shopping don't add all details to every random website, for example, your date of birth," – Vytautas Kaziukonis
As digital threats evolve, individuals are reevaluating their approach to online privacy. The increasing use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), as reported by 26% of respondents in the Statista survey, signifies a growing commitment to safeguarding personal data.