Digital privacy

[4] For example, between 2005 and 2011, the change in levels of disclosure for different profile items on Facebook shows that, over the years, people have wanted to keep more information private.

[5] Observing the seven-year span, Facebook gained a profit of $100 billion through the collection and sharing of their users' data with third-party advertisers.

This mirrors the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which provides uniform privacy rules across all sectors.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has played a central role in addressing these concerns, with its growing expertise in the digital landscape.

Advocates argue that this balance is necessary to protect users from exploitation by companies with massive data collection capabilities.

[10] By example, some legislation, or lack thereof, allow companies to self-regulate their collection and dissemination practices of consumer information.

It is a common practice in some countries to oblige companies and websites to provide users with notice and ask for the consent to collect their data and/or track activity.

This affects the power dynamics between companies and consumers, perceived risks, and jeopardizes the right to privacy in the collection of personal data.

Additionally, there is strong support for more government regulation, with 72% of Americans believing that companies should face more oversight regarding personal information handling.

[14] Communications can also be delivered to recipients unbeknown to the sender due to false assumptions made regarding the platform or medium that was used to send information.

Many scholars have used communication privacy management (CPM) theory as a way to define control over private information.

Some internet users proactively work to ensure information can not be collected, this is the practice of attempting to remain anonymous.

[18] Some companies are trying to create an all-in-one solution, In an interview with Tom Okman, co-founder of NordVPN he mentioned they're currently exploring a technology that will block trackers, cookies, detect malware before it lands on the user's device and more.

It originally existed as a command-line-only program, but it has evolved in recent years to have its own full interface, and a multitude of email providers now offer built-in PGP support.

While these systems are not immune from breaches or failure, many users benefit greatly from their use as every major browser program has built-in support for it.

[26] VPN is also effective in securing data and privacy over the cloud and data-center environments because it is capable of protecting IPs from exposure to different kinds of attacks.

[28] Following the (no) harm principle of John Stuart Mill, private references must be respected: one can do whatever they want as long as others do not suffer from the consequences of it.

With the advent of photojournalism, the invasion of celebrities' private lives arose along with the notion of right-to-privacy—or what Samuel D. Warren II and Louis Brandeis branded in 1890 as "the right to be left alone.

According to Alessandro Acquisti, Curtis Taylor and Liad Wagman in The Economics of Privacy (2015),[30] individual data can be seen as having two types of value: a commercial value and a private value.

[36] Phishing attacks commonly obtain bank and financial data as well as social networking website information.

[35] Online tools can help users protect their information from phishing attacks, including Web browser extensions, which are capable of flagging suspicious websites and links.

[38] A TED talk by Eric Berlow and Sean Gourley following the 2013 mass surveillance disclosures cast a shadow over the privacy of cloud storage and social media.

[42] The use of cryptographic software to evade prosecution and harassment while sending and receiving information over computer networks is associated with crypto-anarchism, a movement intending to protect individuals from mass surveillance by the government.

Specifically, it is crucial to investigate the evolving risks of cyber threats like malware, ransomware, and phishing, which threaten privacy.

Moreover, a multi-disciplinary approach that combines legal, technological, and social perspectives would provide a comprehensive understanding of how personal data is shared, managed, and protected.