What Is Digital Privacy And Why Does It Matter?

What is digital privacy?

Digital privacy, also known as online or internet privacy, refers to the protection of our personal information in regard to our online activities.

In general terms, privacy is about having the right to decide what personal information becomes known to others. In real life, you have the fundamental right to choose what to share, with whom, how, and when. Digital privacy is about ensuring the same rights extend online.

Digital privacy can be explained by breaking it down into three areas:

• Communication: Digital communications should be secure and private with messages and their content only accessible by the sender and intended recipient.
• Information: The sharing of information without leaking it to unauthorized individuals. It is concerned with data collection and sharing processes that take place between entities.
• Individual: This is what most people think of when “personal information” is used. It can include health details, financial and account information, physical location, gender, sexuality, profession, and much more.

Digital privacy safeguards our autonomy and personal security in the online space. It gives us the ability to control the collection, storage, and sharing of our personal data.

It's yours, after all, and you should have a say in how it is used or if it can be used at all.

Having digital privacy also helps provide online anonymity, enabling freedom of expression, another fundamental human right.

Governing bodies around the globe have come to acknowledge the importance of digital privacy and have made attempts to regulate how companies can collect, use, store, and share website visitors' data. The most notable of these are the European GDPR and California Privacy Rights Act, CPRA (previously, CCPA).

But even with such protections in place, our data is constantly being used as an online currency. It's not just an invasion of privacy but can put real people in very real danger. Before we get into the potential consequences of losing digital privacy, let's take a look at what's threatening it in the first place.

Threats to digital privacy

If you haven't already heard... Data is money. It's like the oil of the digital world. Your personal data is making billions of dollars for some of the world's biggest tech companies.

But it's not just the big-bad-tech guys that are after your data.

Almost every single website you visit, social media platform you post on, device you use, or app you install is harvesting your personal data. Using cookie tracking and digital fingerprinting techniques, websites can identify a single user, follow them across the internet, and create a detailed profile of their online activities.

Some of the data collected may be for legitimate purposes, such as improving services or market research. But that's not always the case, and often, data is shared with third parties.

For example, the UK's National Health Service (NHS) recently came under fire for having shared highly sensitive patient information with Meta. The investigation by The Observer found that 20 NHS trusts had collected browsing information and shared it with Facebook via its Meta Pixel tracking tool.

The data included information about patients' search terms and the NHS pages viewed, clicks for appointment bookings, repeat prescription orders, and counseling requests. It also linked the activity to a user's IP address and sometimes their personal Facebook account.

This had been going on for years despite several of the Trust's privacy policies specifically stating that patients' information would not be shared or used for marketing purposes.

It's a stark reminder that privacy policies can't be trusted. Even if you reject cookie tracking, there is no way for general users to know if their non-consent is respected.

That's something we write about in our article, The Ugly Truth About GDPR

Basically, everything you do, every website you visit, every click, like, post, search query, and purchase is being attributed to your online “identity”.

Not only is the data collection itself a violation of digital privacy, but it opens users up to a number of risks, such as:

Data breaches

Companies and organizations store tonnes of personal data. If their systems are compromised, either through hacking, human error, or staff misconduct, it can expose the personal information of their customers. If that vulnerability is taken advantage of by a bad actor, the data can end up on the “dark web”, which can lead to identity theft, financial fraud, or other forms of cybercrime.

Targeted advertising

Companies may use personal data to carefully tailor ads to exploit an individual's vulnerabilities, desires, or fears. It aims to manipulate consumer behavior and influence decision-making, sometimes without individuals even realizing it and without their informed consent.

Surveillance and monitoring

The ability to track users as they move across the internet isn't just for advertisers. It's also a very useful tool for governments and entities to monitor online activities, violating privacy rights and stifling freedom of expression.

For example, authoritarian regimes often monitor Twitter accounts and arrest those who speak out against the ruling party. But it's not just aggressive governments that partake in mass surveillance, as we saw with the NSA scandal revealed by Edward Snowden, in 2013.

Data profiling and discrimination

The detailed profiles created through data collection can be used for targeted profiling, leading to discriminatory practices such as differential pricing or limited opportunities based on our characteristics.

When personal data is extensively collected and analyzed, it can be used to categorize individuals based on race, gender, religion, or political beliefs. This profiling can lead to unfair treatment, exclusion, biased decision-making, perpetuating social inequalities, and violating the basic human right to fair and equal treatment.

Tips to protect your digital privacy

Fortunately, you don't have to quit the internet just to retain some privacy. There are things that you can do and tools to use that can help safeguard your digital privacy. Here are some practical tips to protect your personal information when online:

Use strong, unique passwords: Strong passwords for your online accounts are privacy protection 101. Make them at least 12 characters long with a combination of lower and uppercase, letters, digits, and symbols. If you struggle to remember passwords, password managers can securely store and generate unique passwords.

Review privacy settings: Regularly review the privacy settings of your devices, apps, and social media accounts. Customize your privacy preferences to limit the collection and sharing of your personal data. Although they don't always respect your choices, it's better to lock them down than leave them wide open.

Be mindful of third-party access: Pay attention to the permissions you grant to apps and websites. Consider whether they genuinely need access to your location, contacts, or other sensitive information. For example, does your fitness app really need access to your contacts or media folder?

Utilize encryption and secure connections: Whenever possible, use encryption methods like HTTPS when browsing the web or sending sensitive information. Avoid using public Wi-Fi networks for sensitive transactions and opt for messaging services that provide end-to-end encryption.

Choose privacy-focused browsers and search engines: Steer clear of Google if you care about your digital privacy. There are other browsers and search engines available that aren't quite so data-hungry. Check out our Opera review to see if it fits your needs.

Stay informed: Stay updated on the latest privacy practices, regulations, and security best practices. Regularly educate yourself about new threats and learn how to protect your privacy effectively. Read more from the Hoody Privacy Hub!

Download Hoody: The Hoody app is the only true privacy tool. It not only stops all tracking cookies but also makes digital fingerprinting and surveillance completely impossible. Hoody enables 100% anonymous browsing by providing websites and all of their sneaky tracking methods with randomized data.

Digital privacy matters

Unfortunately, we can't leave protecting our digital privacy up to government regulations. The responsibility falls on us to ensure our own digital privacy and security.

By understanding what is digital privacy, recognizing the threats to our personal data, and taking proactive measures, users can navigate the digital landscape with confidence.

Remember, knowledge is power! With good privacy hygiene and practices, you can continue to enjoy the benefits of the digital world while preserving your fundamental right to privacy.

Sharing devices? Keep your viewing activity private too: Introduction to YouTube Incognito Mode