Data privacy has increasingly become a concern, not just for consumers but for organizations and governments as well. The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the US’s Privacy Act of 1974 are some of the outcomes of ongoing debates on regulating how data is collected, treated, and protected.
Maintaining privacy in a connected world may seem a far-reaching idea for many people. But it shouldn’t be so.
Online Privacy: Why It Matters
Today, digital prying has reached a new level like never seen before. Phishing scams, in particular, are on the rise, exposing millions of Americans to identity threats.
Hacking and malware attacks are also rampant and can cause significant damage, consequences of which you can encounter years into the future. But contrary to popular belief, such criminal acts are not the only threats that could jeopardize your digital privacy.
The fact is, data has become a valuable currency that allows businesses to out-compete their rivals. This is why many companies actively collect user data around the clock, often using misleading tactics to violate customer privacy.
For instance, your online behavior and personal information enable businesses to understand you better, tailor their services, make recommendations, and improve their products — all critical factors for growing their profits.
Not only that, they could share what they collect with others, too, compromising your privacy further. And if their databases experience a breach as a result of a hacking or phishing attack, your data can end up on the dark web, exposing you to innumerable risks.
The bottom line is, a breach of privacy can be incredibly costly and can have unforeseen long-term consequences. In the wrong hands, even the most unimportant piece of data can become a tool for identity theft, financial scams, and various other crimes that may threaten the safety of you and your loved ones.
How Can You Protect Your Digital Privacy?
Today, it can feel almost impossible to maintain privacy online when there are countless individuals and organizations vying to monetize your digital data.
But you can easily evade their prying tactics by adopting the following measures.
Understand Your Digital Footprint
Knowing the scale of personal data available online is essential for determining the potential risks.
The simplest method to gauge your data footprint is searching your name on Google or a similar search engine. Their SERPs will produce all the relevant sites containing content linked to your name.
Another technique is running a name search on a people search engine. These platforms can provide comprehensive reports using publicly available records, saving you the hassle of going through multiple online resources.
Minimize Public Data
Once you get a picture of the type of personal information freely accessible to others, you must identify what you want to remove from public domains.
This will depend on personal preferences and circumstances. Some people might prefer to remove all digital traces, while others may want to maintain a certain level of online presence for professional reasons.
In general, anything that could compromise your privacy and safety, from your home address and personal phone number to family and financial details, should be kept off the internet.
If they’re available on platforms accessible to you, such as social media, personal websites, and blogs, you can go ahead and delete them yourself.
However, you’ll need to make separate requests for data that appear on third-party sites. This means finding the contact details of each web publisher and reaching out to them one by one.
Removing your personal information on people search sites like Nuwber and other data aggregators is also critical for anyone looking to minimize their data footprint.
While at it, don’t forget to delete online accounts and apps you no longer use.
Set Up Digital Security Barriers
Steps for warding off digital threats to data include adopting strong and unique passwords for each online account to ensure their security.
You can opt for a reliable password manager, such as NordPass or Norton, so you don’t have to keep your passwords in mind at all times and save time with automatic logins.
It makes sense to use multi-factor authentication for extra protection.
A virtual private network can also add security by encrypting your internet connection and masking your IP address.
To help minimize vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit, install a virus guard on all devices connected to the internet and regularly update your software.
And one more obvious but essential step — keep your phone and computer screens locked when you’re not using them.
Prevent Data Tracking
To protect yourself from businesses constantly prying on user data,
- Reject website cookies that collect unnecessary information.
- Deactivate the password-saving, auto form-fill, and auto-suggest features on your browser. Also, delete your search history, website cookies, and other data browsers collect.
- Turn off data tracking under the Settings menu of networking sites, online retailers, Google, and any other platform where you’ve created a profile. Following this step is important with apps, software, and devices, too.
- Opt out of personalization features that allow sites to show ads, recommend products, and suggest people to connect with.
- Never link accounts, especially to networking platforms and Google.
- Enable private mode on social media to minimize discoverability and keep strangers at bay.
Think Twice Before Sharing
Many people compromise their online privacy due to voluntary data sharing. To avoid making this mistake, practising caution is crucial when disclosing personal information to others.
For instance, consider the potential consequences when posting content on social media or communicating via messaging apps, emails, and any other digital medium. Remember, digital data is easily sharable. What you disclose to a trusted friend could also reach many others without your knowledge.
Be also mindful of what you provide third-party organizations. Many businesses collect customer data using online account sign-ups, loyalty programs, and a variety of other marketing gimmicks.
Never offer identifiable data without a valid reason. If you must share your email address or phone number, it’s always best to use secondary contact details to keep your personal ones private.
Unfortunately, most Americans still don’t pay enough attention to online privacy. As a result, their safety is constantly at risk.
Protecting one’s personal information in cyberspace is imperative in today’s digital age, where data has become a lucrative currency.
However, maintaining privacy requires much more than a few one-off measures. It’s an ongoing process that needs consistent effort and a cautious approach.
