The History And Importance of Internet Privacy

In this age and time, the internet has become something necessary. From studying, researching, working or even leisure, the internet is needed in multiple industries and activities across the globe. However, do you know how important internet security is and how it plays a massive role in protecting your information? Let‘s look at the history of internet privacy and its importance. The oldest constitution cites the right to privacy even way before it was officially documented and formed based on ruling in the 1960s. “The right to be left alone” was highlighted in an article by Thought.co emphasis that everyone is entitled to privacy. The internet was fully commercialized in 1995 and online privacy was taken seriously by the Federal Trade Commission in 1998. COPPA required all website operators and online services to obtain parental permission when collecting children under the age of 13. This allows parents to filter and decide which information to opt-out.  Wikipedia cited that internet privacy involves the right or mandate of personal privacy concerning the storing, repurposing, provision to third parties, and displaying of information pertaining to oneself via the Internet. Internet privacy is a subset of data privacy. Privacy concerns have been articulated from the beginnings of large-scale computer sharing. Privacy can entail either personally identifiable information (PII) or non-PII information such as a site visitor’s behavior on a website. PII refers to any information that can be used to identify an individual. For example, age and physical address alone could identify who an individual is without explicitly disclosing their name, as these two factors are unique enough to identify a specific person typically. Other forms of PII may soon include GPS tracking data used by apps, as the daily commute and routine information can be enough to identify an individual Why should we care about internet privacy? Every time you click a URL from one website to another, you click on a link to go to the next page. That is the information that people are collecting about you. That kind of information that you may think is meaningless is the steam that powers many companies. If you do not want your personal info to be used by others with malicious intent to exploit them, the first step is for people to understand what happens to your information every time a transaction is made. So when you sign up for a new account at whatever service, at least read and understand the terms of service. What is it you are giving up? Here is an example. Let’s say you would like to sign up for a photo-sharing site. These photos that you have just uploaded are now owned by that company and can be used in advertising efforts. This includes photos of you, your family, and your friends. If you are okay with those sites knowing things about you, then it is okay.  However, if you are not okay or if you want to control what and when they get information and when they don’t, there are a number of browser extensions like Disconnect and Ghostery. All these browser extensions give you control over whether or not the sites you visit collect information about you and send them to other related companies. Shinjiru’s VPN connection is totally anonymous so it helps to keep your activities hidden and safe from predators. Check out VPN Malaysia plans today.