Content deleted Content added
Ohnoitsjamie (talk | contribs) m Reverted edit by Wikibrokaushal (talk) to last version by RedundantYorker11 |
→See also: sorted alphabetically |
||
| (26 intermediate revisions by 19 users not shown) | |||
Line 1:
{{Short description|Right or mandate of personal privacy concerning the internet}}
'''Internet privacy''' involves the right or mandate of personal [[privacy]] concerning the storage, re-purposing, provision to third parties, and display of information pertaining to oneself via the [[Internet]].<ref
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
It has been suggested that the "appeal of online services is to broadcast personal information on purpose."<ref
==Levels of privacy==
Internet and [[digital privacy]] are viewed differently from traditional expectations of privacy. Internet privacy is primarily concerned with protecting user information. Law Professor [[Jerry Kang]] explains that the term privacy expresses space, decision, and information.<ref name="
In the [[United States]], the 1997 Information Infrastructure Task Force (IITF) created under [[Bill Clinton|President Clinton]] defined information privacy as "an individual's claim to control the terms under which personal information — information identifiable to the individual — is acquired, disclosed, and used."<ref>{{Cite journal |jstor = 1229286|title = Information Privacy in Cyberspace Transactions|last1 = Kang|first1 = Jerry|journal = Stanford Law Review|volume = 50|issue = 4|pages = 1193–1294|year = 1998|doi = 10.2307/1229286}}</ref> At the end of the 1990s, with the rise of the Internet, it became clear that governments, companies, and other organizations would need to abide by new rules to protect individuals' privacy. With the rise of the Internet and mobile networks, Internet privacy is a daily concern for users{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}.
Line 18:
Posting things on the Internet can be harmful or expose people to malicious attacks. Some information posted on the Internet persists for decades, depending on the terms of service, and [[privacy policies]] of particular services offered online. This can include comments written on blogs, pictures, and websites, such as [[Facebook]] and [[Twitter|X (formerly Twitter)]]. Once it is posted, anyone can potentially find it and access it. Some employers may research potential employees by searching online for the details of their online behaviors, possibly affecting the outcome of the success of the candidate.<ref>[http://www.atg.wa.gov/InternetSafety/FamiliesAndEducators.aspx No Author. Washington State Office of the Attorney General. (2008). "Families and Educators: Information is Permanent".] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005203739/http://www.atg.wa.gov/InternetSafety/FamiliesAndEducators.aspx |date=2011-10-05}}</ref>
==Risks
{{further|Digital footprint|Web tracking}}
{{tone|section |date=May 2023}}
Since personalised advertisements are more efficient, and thus more profitable, than non-personalised ones, online advertising providers often collect (or facilitate the collection of) user data such as browsing and search history, shopping patterns and social media behaviour. This data can then be automatically processed to display ads more likely to be successful with the particular user they are being displayed to, as well as to [[Algorithmic curation|personalise]] content displayed to the user on social media sites. In 1998, the [[Federal Trade Commission]] considered the lack of privacy for children on the Internet and created the [[Children's Online Privacy Protection Act]] (COPPA), limiting options obtaining personal information of children and stipulating requirement for [[Privacy policy|privacy policies]].
Apart from corporate data collection, on-line privacy threats also include [[Cybercrime|criminal and fraudulent activity]]. This category includes shortened links on many social media platforms leading to potentially harmful websites, [[Email fraud|scam e-mails]] and e-mail attachments that persuade users to install malware or disclose personal information. On [[online piracy]] sites, threats include malicious software being presented as legitimate content. When using a smartphone, [[Geopositioning|geolocation]] data may be compromised.<ref>Mediati, N. (2010). "The Most Dangerous Places on the Web". ''PC World'', 28(11), 72–80.</ref>
In late 2007, Facebook launched the [[Facebook Beacon|Beacon]] program in which user
▲In late 2007, Facebook launched the Beacon program in which user rental records were released to the public for friends to see. Many customers were unhappy with this breach of privacy and the ''[[Lane v. Facebook, Inc.]]'' case ensued.<ref>{{cite web |last=Grimmelmann |first=James |title=Saving Facebook |url=http://works.bepress.com/james_grimmelmann/20/ |work=Iowa Law Review |pages=1137–1206 |year=2009 |access-date=2013-02-12 |archive-date=2021-04-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429101113/https://works.bepress.com/james_grimmelmann/20/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
===Internet protocol (IP) addresses===
California regulations say IP addresses need to be treated as personal information if the business itself, not a third party, can link them to a name and street address.<ref name="cozen"/><ref
An Alberta court ruled that police can obtain the IP addresses and the names and addresses associated with them without a search warrant; the Calgary, Alberta police found IP addresses that initiated online crimes. The service provider gave police the names and addresses associated with those IP addresses.<ref
===HTTP cookies===
Line 48 ⟶ 38:
An [[HTTP cookie]] is data stored on a user's computer that assists in automated access to websites or web features, or other [[State (computer science)|state]] information required in complex websites. It may also be used for user-tracking by storing special usage history data in a cookie, and such cookies — for example, those used by [[Google Analytics]] — are called ''tracking cookies''. Cookies are a common concern in the field of Internet privacy. Although website developers most commonly use cookies for legitimate technical purposes, cases of abuse occur. In 2009, two researchers noted that social networking profiles could be connected to cookies, allowing the social networking profile to be connected to browsing habits.<ref>Krishnamurthy B, Wills CE. (2009). [http://conferences.sigcomm.org/sigcomm/2009/workshops/wosn/papers/p7.pdf "On the Leakage of Personally Identifiable Information Via Online Social Networks"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110817125407/http://conferences.sigcomm.org/sigcomm/2009/workshops/wosn/papers/p7.pdf |date=2011-08-17 }}.</ref>
In the past, websites have not generally made the user explicitly aware of the storing of cookies, however, tracking cookies and especially ''third-party tracking cookies'' are commonly used as ways to compile long-term records of individuals' browsing histories — a privacy concern that prompted European and US lawmakers to take action in 2011.<ref
The original developers of cookies intended that only the website that originally distributed cookies to users could retrieve them, therefore returning only data already possessed by the website. However, in practice, programmers can circumvent this restriction. Possible consequences include:
Line 72 ⟶ 62:
===Flash cookies===
{{Main|Local shared object}}
When some users choose to disable HTTP cookies to reduce privacy risks as noted, new types of
Flash cookies, also known as [[local shared object]]s, work the same way as normal cookies and are used by the [[Adobe Flash Player]] to store information on the user's computer. They exhibit a similar privacy risk as normal cookies, but are not as easily blocked, meaning that the option in most browsers to not accept cookies does not affect Flash cookies. One way to view and control them is with browser extensions or add-ons.
Line 82 ⟶ 72:
===Evercookies===
{{Main|Zombie cookie|Evercookie}}
[[Evercookie]]
====Anti-fraud uses====
Line 88 ⟶ 78:
====Advertising uses====
There is controversy over where the line should be drawn on the use of this technology. Cookies store unique identifiers on a person's computer that are used to predict what one wants. Many advertisement companies want to use this technology to track what their customers are looking at online. This is known as online [[behavioural advertising]] which allows advertisers to keep track of the consumer's website visits to personalize and target advertisements.<ref>{{Cite journal|doi=10.1080/00913367.2017.1339368 |title=Online Behavioral Advertising: A Literature Review and Research Agenda|journal = Journal of Advertising |volume=46 |issue=3 |pages=363–376 |year=2017 |last1=Boerman |first1=Sophie C. |last2=Kruikemeier |first2=Sanne |last3=Zuiderveen Borgesius |first3=Frederik J.|doi-access=free |hdl=11245.1/30b8da2b-de05-4ad9-8e43-ce05eda657e5 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> Ever-cookies enable advertisers to continue to track a customer regardless of whether their cookies are deleted or not. Some companies are already using this technology but the ethics are still being widely debated.
====Criticism====
Line 115 ⟶ 105:
====Google Street View====
[[Google Street View]], released in the U.S. in 2007, is currently the subject of [[Google Street View privacy concerns|an ongoing debate]] about possible infringement on individual privacy.<ref name="guardian1">{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2009/nov/29/google-street-view |title=Rodrigues, J. (November 29, 2009). Google Street View's headaches around the world. ''The Guardian''. |website=[[TheGuardian.com]] |date=29 November 2009 |access-date=December 17, 2016 |archive-date=February 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202122242/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2009/nov/29/google-street-view |url-status=live |last1=Rodrigues |first1=Jason }}</ref><ref name="
The researchers note that "many of the concerns leveled at Street View stem from situations where its photograph-like images were treated as definitive evidence of an individual's involvement in particular activities."<ref name="
===Search engines===
{{Main|Search engine privacy}}
Search engines have the ability to track a user's searches. Personal information can be revealed through searches by the user's computer, account, or IP address being linked to the search terms used. Search engines have claimed a necessity to [[Data retention|retain such information]] in order to provide better services, protect against security pressure, and protect against fraud.<ref
Search engines also are able to retain user information, such as location and time spent using the search engine, for up to ninety days. Most search engine operators use the data to get a sense of which needs must be met in certain areas of their field. People working in the legal field are also allowed to use information collected from these search engine websites. The Google search engine is given as an example of a search engine that retains the information entered for a period of three-fourths of a year before it becomes obsolete for public usage. Yahoo! follows in the footsteps of Google in the sense that it also deletes user information after a period of ninety days. Other search engines such as Ask! search engine have promoted a tool of "AskEraser" which essentially takes away personal information when requested.<ref>{{cite web|last=Dye|first=Jessica|title=Consumer Privacy Advocates Seek Search Engine Solution|url=http://www.econtentmag.com/Articles/News/News-Feature/Consumer-Privacy-Advocates--Seek-Search-Engine-Solution-52679.htm|publisher=EContent|access-date=2011-10-20|archive-date=2013-05-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510103711/http://www.econtentmag.com/Articles/News/News-Feature/Consumer-Privacy-Advocates--Seek-Search-Engine-Solution-52679.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Some changes made to Internet search engines included that of Google's search engine. Beginning in 2009, Google began to run a new system where the Google search became personalized. The item that is searched and the results that are shown remember previous information that pertains to the individual.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Babic|first=Filip|date=2013|title=Rethinking Online Privacy Litigation as Google Expands Use of Tracking: Giving Meaning to Our Online Browsing and the Federal Wiretap Act|url=https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals%2Fhascom36&i=499|journal=Hastings Communications and Entertainment Law Journal|volume=36|issue=2|pages=471–488|via=BerkeleyLaw Library|access-date=2018-09-26|archive-date=2018-09-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180926052242/https://heinonline.org/HOL/P?h=hein.journals%2Fhascom36&i=499|url-status=live}}</ref> Google search engine not only seeks what is searched but also strives to allow the user to feel like the search engine recognizes their interests. This is achieved by using online advertising.<ref>{{cite web |last=Pariser |first=Eli |title=The Troubling Future of Internet Search |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+troubling+future+of+internet+search%3A+data+customization+is+giving...-a0265104866 |publisher=The Free Library |access-date=2011-10-20 |archive-date=2019-10-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191030183026/https://www.thefreelibrary.com/The%2Btroubling%2Bfuture%2Bof%2Binternet%2Bsearch:%2Bdata%2Bcustomization%2Bis%2Bgiving...-a0265104866 |url-status=live }}</ref> A system that Google uses to filter advertisements and search results that might interest the user is by having a ranking system that tests relevancy that includes observation of the behavior users exude while searching on Google. Another function of search engines is the predictability of location. Search engines are able to predict where one's location is currently by locating IP Addresses and geographical locations.<ref>{{cite web |last=Blakeman |first=Karen |title=What Search Engines Know About You |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235719304 |publisher=Online (Weston, Connecticut) |access-date=2011-10-20 }}</ref>
Line 166 ⟶ 156:
===Internet service providers===
Internet users obtain Internet access through an [[Internet service provider]] (ISP). All data transmitted to and from users must pass through the ISP. Thus, an ISP has the potential to observe users' activities on the Internet. ISPs can breach personal information such as transaction history, search history, and social media profiles of users. Hackers could use this opportunity to hack ISPs and obtain sensitive information of victims. However, ISPs are usually prohibited from participating in such activities due to legal, ethical, business, or technical reasons.
Normally ISPs do collect at least ''some'' information about the consumers using their services. From a privacy standpoint, ISPs would ideally collect only as much information as they require in order to provide Internet connectivity (IP address, billing information if applicable, etc.).
Line 180 ⟶ 168:
While signing up for Internet services, each computer contains a unique IP and Internet Protocol address. This particular address will not give away private or personal information, however, a weak link could potentially reveal information from one's ISP.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs18-cyb.htm |title=Online Privacy: Using the Internet Safely | Privacy Rights Clearinghouse |publisher=Privacyrights.org |access-date=2011-11-22 |archive-date=2011-10-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111020120314/https://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs18-cyb.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
General concerns regarding Internet user privacy have become enough of a concern for a UN agency to issue a report on the dangers of identity fraud.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6199372.stm |title=UN warns on password 'explosion' |publisher=BBC News |date=2006-12-04 |access-date=2011-11-25 |archive-date=2009-04-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090425181605/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6199372.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2007, the [[Council of Europe]] held its first annual Data Protection Day on January 28, which has since evolved into the annual [[Data Privacy Day]].<ref
[[T-Mobile USA]] does not store any information on [[web browsing]]. [[Verizon Wireless]] keeps a record of the websites a subscriber visits for up to a year. [[Virgin Mobile]] keeps [[text messages]] for three months. Verizon keeps text messages for three to five days. None of the other carriers keep specific messages at all, but they keep a record of who texted who for over a year. [[AT&T Mobility]] keeps for five to seven years a record of who texts who and the date and time, but not the content of the messages. Virgin Mobile keeps that data for two to three months.<ref>{{cite news |title=Document Shows How Phone Cos. Treat Private Data |url=https://phys.org/news/2011-09-document-cos-private.html |quote=T-Mobile USA doesn't keep any information on Web browsing activity. Verizon, on the other hand, keeps some information for up to a year that can be used to ascertain if a particular phone visited a particular Web site. According to the sheet, Sprint Nextel Corp.'s Virgin Mobile brand keeps the text content of text messages for three months. Verizon keeps it for three to five days. None of the other carriers keep texts at all, but they keep records of who texted who for more than a year. The document says AT&T keeps for five to seven years a record of who text messages who—and when, but not the content of the messages. Virgin Mobile only keeps that data for two to three months. |agency=Associated Press |date=September 29, 2011 |access-date=2011-09-29 |archive-date=2019-05-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190513134626/https://phys.org/news/2011-09-document-cos-private.html |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Update inline|date=July 2015}}
Line 187 ⟶ 175:
[[HTML5]] is the latest version of [[Hypertext Markup Language]] specification. HTML defines how user agents, such as web browsers, are to present websites based on their underlying code. This new web standard changes the way that users are affected by the Internet and their privacy on the Internet. HTML5 expands the number of methods given to a website to store information locally on a client as well as the amount of data that can be stored. As such, privacy risks are increased. For instance, merely erasing cookies may not be enough to remove potential tracking methods since data could be mirrored in [[web storage]], another means of keeping information in a user's web browser.<ref name="PrivacyWHATWG">{{cite web |url=http://www.whatwg.org/specs/web-apps/current-work/multipage/webstorage.html#privacy |title=Privacy, Web Storage |access-date=11 December 2012 |publisher=WHATWG |archive-date=6 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130106153310/http://www.whatwg.org/specs/web-apps/current-work/multipage/webstorage.html#privacy |url-status=live }}</ref> There are so many sources of data storage that it is challenging for web browsers to present sensible privacy settings. As the power of web standards increases, so do potential misuses.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/11/business/media/11privacy.html?adxnnl=1&pagewanted=all |title=Vega, T. (2010, October 10). New web code draws concern over privacy risks. ''The New York Times'' |work=The New York Times |date=11 October 2010 |access-date=2017-02-24 |archive-date=2017-06-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630133818/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/11/business/media/11privacy.html?adxnnl=1&pagewanted=all |url-status=live |last1=Vega |first1=Tanzina |author-link=Tanzina Vega }}</ref>
HTML5 also expands access to user media, potentially granting [[HTML audio|access to a computer's microphone]] or webcam, a capability previously only possible through the use of plug-ins like [[Adobe Flash Player|Flash]].<ref
Besides elevating privacy concerns, HTML5 also adds a few tools to enhance user privacy. A mechanism is defined whereby user agents can share blacklists of domains that should not be allowed to access web storage.<ref name="PrivacyWHATWG" /> [[Content Security Policy]] is a proposed standard whereby sites may assign privileges to different domains, enforcing harsh limitations on JavaScript use to mitigate [[cross-site scripting]] attacks. HTML5 also adds HTML templating and a standard HTML parser which replaces the various parsers of web browser vendors. These new features formalize previously inconsistent implementations, reducing the number of vulnerabilities though not eliminating them entirely.<ref
===Uploaded file metadata===
Embedded [[metadata]] in files uploaded to the internet can divulge privacy compromising data. For example, most digital cameras and smartphones automatically embed image metadata, such as [[Exif]], which includes the geographical location where the photo has been taken. If the photo has been taken at the photographer's house, his address and identity could be revealed.
This problem can be mitigated by removing metadata from files before uploading them to the internet using a [[metadata removal tool]].
===Big data===
Line 195 ⟶ 188:
Big data provides companies with the ability to:
*Infer detailed psycho-demographic profiles of Internet users, even if they were not directly expressed or indicated by users.<ref>{{cite
*Inspect product availability and optimize prices for maximum profit while clearing inventory.
*Swiftly reconfigure risk portfolios in minutes and understand future opportunities to mitigate risk.
Line 204 ⟶ 197:
*Analyze data from social media to detect new market trends and changes in demand.
*Use clickstream analysis and data mining to detect fraudulent behavior.
*Determine root causes of failures, issues and defects by investigating user sessions, network logs and machine sensors.<ref
===Other potential Internet privacy risks===
* [[Cross-device tracking]] identifies users' activity across multiple devices.<ref
* Massive personal data extraction through mobile device apps that receive carte-blanche-permissions for data access upon installation.<ref>{{Cite thesis|last=Momen|first=Nurul|date=2020|title=Measuring Apps' Privacy-Friendliness: Introducing transparency to apps' data access behavior|publisher=Karlstad University |type=Doctoral thesis|url=http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-79308|access-date=2020-09-16|archive-date=2023-01-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117061358/http://kau.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1457418&dswid=7807|url-status=live |isbn=978-91-7867-137-3 |id={{orcid|0000-0002-5235-5335}}}}</ref>
* [[Malware]] is a term short for "malicious software" and is used to describe software that is used to cause damage to a single computer, server, or computer network whether that is through the use of a virus, trojan horse, spyware, etc.<ref name="
* [[Spyware]] is a piece of software that obtains information from a user's computer without that user's consent.<ref name="
* A [[web bug]] is an object embedded into a web page or email and is usually invisible to the user of the website or reader of the email. It allows checking to see if a person has looked at a particular website or read a specific email message.
* [[Phishing]] is a criminally fraudulent process of trying to obtain sensitive information such as usernames, passwords, or credit card and bank information. Phishing is an Internet crime in which someone masquerades as a trustworthy entity in some form of electronic communication.
Line 218 ⟶ 211:
* Use of [[Password strength|weak passwords]] that are short, consist of all numbers, all lowercase or all uppercase letters, or that can be easily guessed such as single words, common phrases, a person's name, a pet's name, the name of a place, an address, a phone number, a social security number, or a birth date.<ref>{{cite web |title=Protect Your Privacy |url=http://www.truste.com/products-and-services/consumer_privacy/privacy_tips#btt |publisher=TRUSTe |access-date=2012-11-25 |archive-date=2012-11-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121126120753/http://www.truste.com/products-and-services/consumer_privacy/privacy_tips#btt |url-status=live }}</ref>
*Use of recycled passwords or the same password across multiple platforms which have become exposed from a data breach.
* Using the same login name and/or password for multiple accounts where one compromised account leads to other accounts being compromised.<ref name=
* Allowing unused or little-used accounts, where unauthorized use is likely to go unnoticed, to remain active.<ref>{{cite web |title=Top 5 Online Privacy Tips |url=http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=8798 |publisher=Help Net Security |access-date=2012-11-23 |date=2010-01-29 |archive-date=2013-06-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130605055750/http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=8798 |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Using out-of-date software that may contain vulnerabilities that have been fixed in newer, more up-to-date versions.<ref name=
* [[WebRTC]] is a protocol which suffers from a serious [[WebRTC#Concerns|security flaw]] that compromises the privacy of [[Virtual private network|VPN tunnels]], by allowing the true [[IP address]] of the user to be read. It is enabled by default in major browsers such as [[Firefox]] and [[Google Chrome]].<ref>[https://torrentfreak.com/huge-security-flaw-leaks-vpn-users-real-ip-addresses-150130/ Huge Security Flaw Leaks VPN Users' Real IP-addresses] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108120117/https://torrentfreak.com/huge-security-flaw-leaks-vpn-users-real-ip-addresses-150130/ |date=2021-01-08 }} TorrentFreak.com (2015-01-30). Retrieved on 2015-02-21.</ref>
Line 251 ⟶ 244:
Ultimately, however, the potential for a violation of one's privacy is typically out of their hands after purchasing from an online retailer or store. One of the most common forms in which hackers receive private information from online retailers actually comes from an attack placed upon the site's servers responsible for maintaining information about previous transactions. As experts explain, these retailers are not doing nearly enough to maintain or improve their security measures. Even those sites that clearly present a privacy or security policy can be subject to hackers' havoc as most policies only rely upon encryption technology which only applies to the actual transfer of a customer's data. However, with this being said, most retailers have been making improvements, going as far as covering some of the credit card fees if the information's abuse can be traced back to the site's servers.<ref name="Kandra, Anne 2001, PC"/>
As one of the largest growing concerns American adults have of current Internet privacy policies, identity and credit theft remain a constant figure in the debate surrounding privacy online. A 1997 study by the [[Boston Consulting Group]] showed that participants of the study were most concerned about their privacy on the Internet compared to any other media.<ref
With the overall public anxiety regarding the constantly expanding trend of online crimes, in 2001 roughly fifty-four percent of Americans polled showed a general approval for the FBI monitoring those emails deemed suspicious. Thus, it was born the idea for the FBI program: "[[Carnivore (software)|Carnivore]]", which was going to be used as a searching method, allowing the FBI to hopefully home in on potential criminals. Unlike the overall approval of the FBI's intervention, Carnivore was not met with as much of a majority's approval. Rather, the public seemed to be divided with forty-five percent siding in its favor, forty-five percent opposed to the idea for its ability to potentially interfere with ordinary citizen's messages, and ten percent claiming indifference. While this may seem slightly tangent to the topic of Internet privacy, it is important to consider that at the time of this poll, the general population's approval of government actions was declining, reaching thirty-one percent versus the forty-one percent it held a decade prior. This figure in collaboration with the majority's approval of FBI intervention demonstrates an emerging emphasis on the issue of Internet privacy in society and more importantly, the potential implications it may hold on citizens' lives.<ref name="pewinternet.org"/>
Online users must seek to protect the information they share with online websites, specifically social media. In today's [[Web 2.0]] individuals have become the public producers of personal information.<ref name="
=== Impact of Internet surveillance tools on marginalized communities ===
Internet privacy issues also affect existing class distinctions in the United States, often disproportionately impacting historically marginalized groups typically classified by race and class. Individuals with access to private digital connections that have protective services are able to more easily prevent data privacy risks of personal information and surveillance issues. Members of historically marginalized communities face greater risks of surveillance through the process of data profiling, which increases the likelihood of being stereotyped, targeted, and exploited, thus exacerbating pre-existing inequities that foster uneven playing fields.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Gangadharan|first=Seeta Peña|date=2015-11-09|title=The downside of digital inclusion: Expectations and experiences of privacy and surveillance among marginal Internet users|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1461444815614053|journal=New Media & Society|volume=19|issue=4|pages=597–615|doi=10.1177/1461444815614053|s2cid=13390927|issn=1461-4448}}</ref> There are severe, and often unintentional, implications for big data which results in data profiling. For example, automated systems of employment verification run by the federal government such as [[E-Verify|E-verify]] tend to misidentify people with names that do not adhere to standardized Caucasian-sounding names as ineligible to work in the United States, thus widening unemployment gaps and preventing social mobility.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Barocas|first1=Solon|last2=Selbst|first2=Andrew D.|date=2016|title=Big Data's Disparate Impact|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2477899|journal=SSRN Electronic Journal|doi=10.2139/ssrn.2477899|issn=1556-5068|access-date=2021-11-02|archive-date=2023-01-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117061324/https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2477899|url-status=live}}</ref> This case exemplifies how some programs have bias embedded within their codes.
Tools using algorithms and artificial intelligence have also been used to target marginalized communities with policing measures,<ref name="
While broadband was implemented as a means to transform the relationship between historically marginalized communities and technology to ultimately narrow the digital inequalities, inadequate privacy protections compromise user rights, profile users, and spur skepticism towards technology among users. Some automated systems, like the United Kingdom government's [[Universal Credit|Universal Credit system]] in 2013, have failed<ref name="
==Laws and regulations==
Line 271 ⟶ 264:
===European General Data protection regulation===
In 2009 the [[European Union]] had for the first time created awareness for tracking practices when the ePrivacy-Directive (2009/136/EC) was put in force.<ref name="
As of June 2020, typical cookie implementations are not compliant with this regulation, and other practices such as [[device fingerprint]]ing, cross-website-logins <ref>{{Cite magazine|date=2 July 2020|title=Security risks of logging in with facebook|url=https://www.wired.com/story/security-risks-of-logging-in-with-facebook/|magazine=Wired|access-date=3 July 2020|archive-date=3 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200703202751/https://www.wired.com/story/security-risks-of-logging-in-with-facebook/|url-status=live}}</ref> or 3rd-party requests are typically not disclosed, even though many opinions consider such methods in the scope of the GDPR.<ref>{{cite web|date=2 July 2020|title=The GDPR and Browser Fingerprinting: How It Changes the Game for the Sneakiest Web Trackers|url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/06/gdpr-and-browser-fingerprinting-how-it-changes-game-sneakiest-web-trackers|website=European Frontier Foundation|access-date=3 July 2020|archive-date=2 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802050700/https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/06/gdpr-and-browser-fingerprinting-how-it-changes-game-sneakiest-web-trackers|url-status=live}}</ref> The reason for this controversy is the ePrivacy-Directive 2009/136/EC<ref name="
Irrespective of the pending ePrivacy-Regulation, the European High Court decided in October 2019 (case C-673/17<ref>{{cite web|date=2 July 2020|title=JUDGMENT OF THE COURT 1/10/2019|url=http://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf?text=&docid=218462&pageIndex=0&doclang=EN&mode=lst&dir=&occ=first&part=1&cid=6162209|website=Court of Justice of the European Union|access-date=3 July 2020|archive-date=3 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200703212743/http://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf?text=&docid=218462&pageIndex=0&doclang=EN&mode=lst&dir=&occ=first&part=1&cid=6162209|url-status=live}}</ref>) that the current law is not fulfilled if the disclosed information in the cookie disclaimer is imprecise, or if the consent checkbox is pre-checked. Consequently, many cookie disclaimers that were in use at that time were confirmed to be incompliant with the current data protection laws. However, even this high court judgment only refers to cookies and not to other tracking methods.
Line 282 ⟶ 275:
One of the most popular topics of discussion regarding Internet privacy is China. Although China is known for its remarkable reputation for maintaining Internet privacy among many online users,<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Dong|first=Fan|date=2012-05-28|title=Controlling the internet in China: The real story|url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1354856512439500|journal=Convergence|volume=18|issue=4|pages=403–425|language=en|doi=10.1177/1354856512439500|s2cid=144146039|access-date=2020-10-23|archive-date=2020-10-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027054036/https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1354856512439500|url-status=live}}</ref> it could potentially be a major jeopardy to the lives of many online users who have their information exchanged on the web regularly. For instance, in China, there is a new software that will enable the concept of surveillance among the majority of online users and present a risk to their privacy.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jul/26/china-boosts-internet-surveillance|title=China boosts internet surveillance|newspaper=The Guardian|date=2011-07-26|last1=Branigan|first1=Tania|access-date=2018-01-28|archive-date=2018-01-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180128190515/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jul/26/china-boosts-internet-surveillance|url-status=live}}</ref> The main concern with privacy of Internet users in China is the lack thereof. China has a well-known policy of censorship when it comes to the spread of information through public media channels. [[Censorship in the People's Republic of China|Censorship]] has been prominent in [[Mainland China]] since the [[Communist Party of China|communist party]] gained power in China over 60 years ago. With the development of the Internet, however, privacy became more of a problem for the government. The Chinese Government has been accused of actively limiting and editing the information that flows into the country via various media. The Internet poses a particular set of issues for this type of censorship, especially when search engines are involved. Yahoo! for example, encountered a problem after entering China in the mid-2000s. A Chinese journalist, who was also a Yahoo! user, sent private emails using the Yahoo! server regarding the Chinese government. Yahoo! provided information to the Chinese government officials to track down journalist [[Shi Tao (journalist)|Shi Tao]]. Shi Tao allegedly posted state secrets to a New York-based website. Yahoo provided incriminating records of the journalist's account logins to the Chinese government and Shi Tao was sentenced to ten years in prison.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Kahn|first=Joseph|date=2005-09-08|title=Yahoo helped Chinese to prosecute journalist (Published 2005)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/08/business/worldbusiness/yahoo-helped-chinese-to-prosecute-journalist.html|access-date=2021-03-04|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=2021-04-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210404224252/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/08/business/worldbusiness/yahoo-helped-chinese-to-prosecute-journalist.html|url-status=live}}</ref> These types of occurrences have been reported numerous times and have been criticized by foreign entities such as the creators of the [[Tor (network)|Tor network]], which was designed to circumvent network surveillance in multiple countries.
The 2021 [[Data Security Law of the People's Republic of China|Data Security Law]] classifies data into different categories and establishes corresponding levels of protection.<ref name="Zhang-2024">{{Cite book |last=Zhang |first=Angela Huyue |title=High Wire: How China Regulates Big Tech and Governs Its Economy |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2024 |isbn=9780197682258}}</ref>{{Rp|page=131}} It imposes significant data localization requirements, in a response to the extraterritorial reach of the United States [[CLOUD Act]] or similar foreign laws.<ref name="Zhang-2024" />{{Rp|pages=250-251}}
The 2021 [[Personal Information Protection Law of the People's Republic of China|Personal Information Protection Law]] is China's first comprehensive law on personal data rights and is modeled after the European Union's [[General Data Protection Regulation]].<ref name="Zhang-2024" />{{Rp|page=131}}
===Internet privacy in Sweden===
On 11 May 1973 Sweden enacted the [[Data Act (Sweden)|Data Act]] − the world's first national data protection law.<ref
The FRA has a history of intercepting radio signals and has stood as the main intelligence agency in Sweden since 1942. Sweden has a mixture of the government's strong push towards implementing policy and citizens' continued perception of a free and neutral Internet. Both of the previously mentioned additions created controversy among critics but they did not change the public perception despite the new FRA law being litigated in front of the [[European Court of Human Rights]] for human rights violations.
Line 305 ⟶ 302:
[[File:Jeff Flake official Senate photo (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|US Republican senator [[Jeff Flake]] spearheaded an effort to pass legislation allowing ISPs and tech firms to sell private customer information, such as their browsing history, without consent.]]
With the [[Republican party of the United States|Republicans]] in control of all three branches of the U.S. government, [[Lobbying in the United States|lobbyists]] for Internet service providers (ISPs) and tech firms persuaded lawmakers to dismantle regulations to protect privacy which had been made during the [[Presidency of Barack Obama|Obama administration]]. These FCC rules had required ISPs to get "explicit consent" before gathering and selling their private Internet information, such as the consumers' browsing histories, locations of businesses visited and applications used.<ref name=
==Legal threats==
Line 311 ⟶ 308:
Specific examples:
* Following a decision by the [[Council of the European Union|European Union's council of ministers]] in Brussels, in January 2009, the UK's [[Home Office]] adopted a plan to allow police to access the contents of individuals' computers without a warrant. The process, called "remote searching", allows one party, at a remote location, to examine another's hard drive and Internet traffic, including email, browsing history and websites visited. Police across the EU are now permitted to request that the British police conduct a remote search on their behalf. The search can be granted, and the material turned over and used as evidence, on the basis of a senior officer believing it necessary to prevent a serious crime. Opposition [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|MPs]] and civil liberties advocates are concerned about this move toward widening surveillance and its possible impact on personal privacy. [[Shami Chakrabarti]], director of the human rights group [[Liberty (advocacy group)|Liberty]], said "The public will want this to be controlled by new legislation and judicial authorization. Without those safeguards it's a devastating blow to any notion of personal privacy."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5439604.ece |title=Police set to step up hacking of home PCs |publisher=Timesonline.co.uk |access-date=2011-11-25 |location=London |url-access=subscription |archive-date=2011-09-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929011940/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5439604.ece |url-status=
* The FBI's [[Magic Lantern (spyware)|Magic Lantern]] software program was the topic of much debate when it was publicized in November 2001. Magic Lantern is a [[Trojan horse (computing)|Trojan Horse]] program that logs users' keystrokes, rendering encryption useless to those infected.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/archive.cgi?noframes;read=15391 |title=FBI 'Lantern' Software Does Log Keystrokes |publisher=Rumormillnews.com |access-date=2011-11-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120623023322/http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/archive.cgi?noframes;read=15391 |archive-date=2012-06-23 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
== Children and Internet privacy ==
Internet privacy is a growing concern with children and the content they are able to view. Aside from that, many concerns for the privacy of [[email]], the vulnerability of internet users to have their internet usage tracked, and the collection of personal information also exist. These concerns have begun to bring the issues of Internet privacy before the courts and judges.<ref
==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=28em}}
* [[Anonymous blogging]]
* [[Anonymous P2P]]▼
* [[Anonymous post]]
▲* [[Anonymous P2P]]
* [[Anonymous remailer]]
* [[Tor (network)|Anonymous web browsing]]
* [[Canadian privacy law]]▼
* [[Computer and network surveillance]]▼
* [[Digital footprint]]
* [[Data Protection Directive|European Union Data Protection Directive]]▼
* [[Internet censorship]]
* [[Location-based service#Privacy issues]]
* [[Mass surveillance]]▼
* [[PRISM (surveillance program)| PRISM surveillance program]]▼
* [[Privacy-enhancing technologies]]
▲* [[PRISM (surveillance program)|PRISM]]
* [[Privacy concerns with social networking services]]▼
* [[Right to be forgotten]]▼
* [[Privacy in Australian law]]
▲* [[Canadian privacy law]]
▲* [[Data Protection Directive|European Union Data Protection Directive]]
* [[Privacy in English law]]
* [[Data protection (privacy) laws in Russia|Privacy laws in Russia]]
* [[Privacy laws of the United States]]
* [[Privacy software]]
▲* [[Computer and network surveillance]]
▲* [[Privacy concerns with social networking services]]
▲* [[Mass surveillance]]
▲* [[Right to be forgotten]]
* [[Search engine privacy]]
* [[
* [[Wire data]]
{{div col end}}
| |||