Privacy May Be A Luxury Or May Be Not.

With our devices keeping a track of us nonstop and the digital world we depend on requesting our own information, the anonymity is difficult to achieve. With this writing, I would like to investigate the attainable, probable and plausible effects of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to a private life of the end-user of this digitised world. We would look deep into, what if the data privacy becomes a luxury commodity only which wealthy people can afford (Weforum, 2017).

 We as a whole characterize privacy in our own particular manners. What privacy might mean to me it won’t mean the same to you or to a company who is using your data. Concept of privacy changes with people in different parts of the world. To some families using the internet via a shared device, privacy might mean privacy from one another. To the small-business owner who wants to start accepting credit card payments, privacy means keeping customer data secure. To the teenager sharing selfies, privacy could mean the ability to delete that data in the future (Pichai, 2019). To wrap up privacy in a single word, it would be - personal, which makes it even more paramount for organisations to give people lucid, individual choices around how their data is used (Lafrance, 2014). It is imminent that we would be seeing a difference between the privacy of a rich and the privacy of the poor. As per the poll conducted by Times.com, there are 91% chances of a gap to established between privacy rich and privacy poor.

It is a matter of time when the privacy would be constrained to the individuals who can bear to protect themselves. This divide of rich and poor privacy would trigger an ample number of questions. People with privacy would be asked that what is the information they are trying to conceal whereas those who cannot afford privacy and to have access to privacy would be giving up on their personal data by getting involved into something. In a general sense, to have the option to do new things, you will require a few information. However, there is a major distinction between gathering the data, and how you utilize the data. Like any information which is related to health is very sensitive and personal. It becomes the prime obligation of the organisation whoever is collecting this data to protect and safeguard this information. Not only keep this valuable information safe but also an assurance that this would be used intelligently (Lafrance, 2014)

The indulgence of the Internet of Things into each and every other device possible to leach out data from the individuals makes it difficult even for those who say that they have nothing to hide. There is always some sort of information which we would like to keep it to ourselves. Privacy is being exchanged off for comfort (Lafrance, 2014). In other words, the ease provided by the modern world is likely dictating privacy regulations. This is already happening all around us (Weforum, 2017). The new generation may conceive it as the key to convenience, may not be as concerned. They are eager to surrender it for new services which would offer much more user-friendly experience at the cost of their private data. Privacy may change in the near future, what it is defined as won’t be the definition of privacy any more. It would be difficult to find a set of rules and regulations to bind the concept of privacy, with the fast-paced movement of the digital world. The changes are taking place at such a high speed that the business is manipulating the data privacy module as per their benefits. The end-user or customers are vulnerable hence there is an urgent need to cap this transition of privacy into our favour. We need to elucidate the coming generation on data privacy and its importance. We must improve consumer education about their rights to privacy and its regulations. Over-regulating privacy could kill innovation, we must instead have a consensus and strike a balance between privacy and innovation (Lyons, 2020).

With increasing innovation, there is always a loophole which could be used by any unethical person to take advantage of. Recently with particular Google searches, anyone can discover and join hundreds of thousands of WhatsApp groups. Invitations to WhatsApp group chats are being indexed by Google, making the invite links —even the links to private group chats are made discoverable and available to anyone who wants to join (Cox, 2020). 

The right to be let alone, it is a basic human right in many of the well-known democracies and it is coined as Privacy. (Warren and Brandeis 1890). In modern societies, the distinguishing factor between public and private is diminishing, and contemporary media also has a hand in blurring the lines separating private from the public. By 2025, a large number of the issues, practices, and data we render to be private today, won't be so in the near future. The private circle, and the public circle, will doubtlessly overlap. In the privately public and publicly private era of Facebook, individuals are enabled to connect with multiple audiences on online social planes. The photographs, posts, comments share on Facebook are publically available to third parties and outside networks. Facebook took some steps to make privacy settings more accessible and manageable for their members (Zuckerberg, 2010). At the expense of privacy, we are building a new path towards sociality. All accessible platforms, which offer services, which is presumed to be free but it is not, as we are exchanging our personal information (Papacharissi, 2010). This simple step, taken by many, transforms our personal information into currency, and our privacy into a commodity. And in no time some Privacy will be a thing of luxury which many won’t be able to afford (Papacharissi, 2010).

We are trading our personal information to gain access to a friend who is living far away from us, this information is used as a currency by publicising and commercialising them. Gradually the definition of privacy will change from ‘the right to be alone’ to ‘a luxury commodity which would be expensive’. The luxurious thing obviously possesses a price and the price that would be far from the reach of the normal person. I would become a status symbol (Papacharissi, 2010). A regulatory framework must define, protect, and educate about ‘the right to an inviolate personality’ online. Ultimately, because online environments work globally, educating the public about the ‘right to be let alone,’ online, is an important part of crafting a regulatory solution that ensures privacy becomes a public good.

The tech companies should serve society rather than serving themselves with profit. They should offer accountability and insights to their user. They should be answerable to their customers when they make mistakes. Of course, one should always be able to transfer your data between services. But how do we define what counts as your data? If I share something with Google, like my birthday, should Google be able to take that data to other services, as their calendar app? Is that my data or Google? Who should be held responsible for the use or misuse of that particular data (Zuckerberg, 2010). These are issues that need to be looked upon and that affect the industry as a whole. If these industries don’t create standards that people feel are legitimate, people will lose their trust bestowed upon these institutions or technology. A line has to be drawn somewhere which will distinguish between the data rights.

Digital technologies are doing considerably good stuff to improve our lives, from the better acquisition of knowledge and content to how we conduct our business, communicate or buy or sell goods and services. The tech giants must ensure that the digital transition should work in favour of all the people, not just a few. Netizens ought to have the chance to succeed, select openly, take part in the society without any second thoughts of compromising on privacy simultaneously have a sense of security on the web.

Recently, the CEO of Google, Sundar Pichai stated that “Privacy Should Not Be a Luxury Good. Yes, we use data to make products more helpful for everyone. But we also protect your information.“ Google is religiously working in many ways to provide their users with the best experience be it by showing the best route to home which is devoid of traffic or their products like Search, Chrome and Android to help them every day in any possible demeanour (Pichai, 2019). This is the manner by which Google attempts to make privacy genuine, it gives client unmistakable, significant decisions around their information. All while remaining consistent with two unequivocal strategies: that Google will never offer any personal data to outsiders; and that user gets to know/decide a good pace how their data is utilized. They (Google) want to do more is this context and thrives to stay ahead of user expectations by offering products that make privacy a reality for everyone. To quite an extent we all are aware that Google, make money by selling our identity, and they are meticulously careful about anonymizing the data as they do. They know that you will only keep working with them if they act trustworthy. They encrypt all transported data and data at rest. They have pushed standards for data encryption and push hard for transparency. They are very active in providing data privacy leadership, but walking on a tightrope since data about us is what makes them money. Google’s business is to suck up all the data of the world and monetize/commoditize it. Google’s business model is to sell you to their advertisers. This makes Google a lot riskier, but it is still in their interest to maintain high levels of customer privacy and security because if that is breached it will hurt their business. Security and Privacy are in their DNA. Read their privacy statements. Google claims ownership of and the right to use and republish anything posted on any of its sites. Both Google and Microsoft filed briefs in support of Apple's refusal to work with federal officials to access data in the San Bernardino iPhone case. All three have at least some interest in protecting their users' privacy.

Conclusion

Organizations should profit by a structure that permits them to fire up, scale-up, pool information, advance and contend with huge organizations on reasonable standing. Society should profit by social and ecological supportability and a safe computerized condition that regards protection, poise, honesty and different rights in full transparency.

These steps, as well as keeping you generally (although not 100%) off the Home Office’s radar, will also help you keep your information out of the hands of cybercriminals, major corporations who profit off trading your data, and any spying partners or exes.

*Always Use Private Browsing

*Use an Encrypted Chat App

*Don't Use Unsecure Email

*Sign Out of Social Networks

*Set a passcode on your Phone

*Turn on Self-Destruct Mode

*Set Auto-Lock to 30 Seconds

*Disable All Lock Screen Access

*Only Open the Camera From The Lock screen

The threats to our privacy and security are ever-evolving and within a few short years, things can change for the better -- or for the worse. It is a constant game of push-and-pull between governments and technology giants when the conversation turns to encryption; cyberattacks are evolving and inventing new ways to exploit us daily, and some countries would rather suppress the idea of individual privacy, rather than protect it.

We have to maintain the while balance promoting innovation and research against protecting people’s privacy and security. The internet is a powerful force for social and economic empowerment. Regulation that protects people and supports innovation can ensure it stays that way (Zuckerberg, 2020).

Thankfully, the threat to our privacy has now been acknowledged by technology companies and many organizations, both for and non-profit, have taken it upon themselves to develop tools for our use to improve our personal security. As the end-user are the ones who are driving these companies. 

References

1.      Papacharissi Z. 2010. “The privacy as a luxury commodity” at https://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/3075/2581

2.      Warren S. and Brandeis L. 1890. “The right to privacy,” Harvard Law Review, volume 4, number 5, pp. 193–220.

3.      Zuckerberg M. 2010. “Making control simple,” Facebook Blog (26 May), at https://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=391922327130

4.      Lafrance A. 2014, By 2025, the Definition of 'Privacy' Will Have Changed. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/12/by-2025-the-definition-of-privacy-will-have-changed/383869/, DOI: 18 December 2014.

5.      Lyons K. 2020, Google is indexing WhatsApp group chat links, making even private groups discoverable Retrieved from https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/21/21147073/whatsapp-google-group-chat-join-indexing-links-search-privacy-facebook, DOI: 21 Feb 2020.

6.      Cox J. 2020, Google Is Letting People Find Invites to Some Private WhatsApp Groups, Retrieved from https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/k7enqn/google-is-letting-people-find-invites-to-some-private-whatsapp-groups, DOI: 21 Feb 2020.

7.      Zuckerberg M. 2020. “Big Tech Needs More Regulation” Facebook News (18 Feb), at https://about.fb.com/news/2020/02/big-tech-needs-more-regulation/

8.      Pichai S. 2019. “Privacy should not be a luxury good” The New York Times (07 May 2019), at https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/07/opinion/google-sundar-pichai-privacy.html

9.      What If: Privacy becomes a luxury good? (2017)https://www.weforum.org/about/what-if-privacy-becomes-a-luxury-good