Introduction
As the digital landscape continues to expand and evolve, it is high time to properly navigate and comprehend the aspects of digital privacy and digital rights. Goggin et al. (2017) note that digital tools and platforms have been widely integrated into people’s lives to allow further convenience and functionality at many points. However, what if the facet of digital rights comes with the nuances related to digital privacy? What does the scenario have in store when digital rights get entwined with digital privacy concepts and issues? Users need to carefully and thoroughly understand these aspects from multiple perspectives to develop a critical understanding. Accordingly, this blog thoroughly analyses the intricacies related to digital rights and digital privacy to provide insights into how they impact users’ autonomy, social lenses, technological advancement, and cultural perplexities. By going through this blog, readers can understand how they can assume ownership and autonomy of personal information in the digital sphere while safeguarding the privacy of data and personalities. The controversial case of Latitude in Australia will provide a better understanding to the readers.
Importance of Digital Privacy
Digital privacy bears extensive importance from different perspectives. As people more engage with the digital landscape, it has become more significant to protect the privacy of people to safeguard the entire society on the broader spectrum (Nissenbaum, 2018). As per Marwick and Boyd (2019), the concept of digital privacy suggests that users would be able to control their personal information autonomously to avoid any potential harm. Since the well-being of individuals is a basic right in the digital sphere too, digital privacy assumes a key role in this aspect. Thus, digital privacy is immensely significant in this age.
However, several instances in the realm of data breaches in Australia have increased users’ concern about data privacy. A report by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) (2023) highlighted that 68 per cent of Australians feel that they are not in control of their personal information and 84 per cent feel that their control should be enhanced. Therefore, this scenario suggests that awareness of digital privacy and its importance is spreading among people. Although this is a positive sign regarding increasing awareness of digital privacy, it also points out the gaps in the existing systems resulting in the users’ increased concerns. Apart from compromising personal data, a breach of digital privacy can lead to different negative impacts on society. Meanwhile, Nissenbaum (2018) featured that data breach incidents may reduce people’s trust in institutions, undermine democratic procedures or actions, and enhance the extent of digital inequality. Therefore, the scenario demands further robust digital protection measures and strategies not only in Australia but also around the world.
Understanding Digital Rights
As users become more concerned about digital privacy, they must navigate and understand their digital rights at the same time. Digital rights broadly refer to the users’ rights in the digital realm that encompass multiple facets. According to Karppinen (2017), digital rights guarantee that clients have equivalent reach to data, the opportunity to articulate their thoughts, dispose of segregation, and data protection. Amid the digital division, such rights assume a huge part in perceiving all people similarly in the advanced circle and guaranteeing their independence in multi-layered ways (Goggin et al., 2017). As the computerized scene is advancing, guaranteeing and tending to these freedoms has become more significant.
In the above-mentioned ways, unique regulatory systems and institutional rules have been implemented to maintain individuals’ freedoms. Flew (2021) states that the Security Act 1988 and the Australian Protection Standards have been carried out to ensure clients’ security by capable and moral treatment of information accumulated by people. These legitimate structures stress the significance of keeping up with secrecy and security so clients can participate in digital aspects without agonising concern over their protection. Besides, states and lawful structures all over the planet (counting Australia) are progressively focusing on guaranteeing that clients can practice their opportunity to communicate as a basic right (Goggin et al., 2017; Taylor, 2017). A great many legitimate viewpoints and rules assist with stating this feature. At the global level, several nations are signatories to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) which aims to ensure people’s digital rights in terms of safeguarding privacy and allowing free expression (Mateus, 2021). Therefore, steps are taken to emphasize digital rights. Users need to comprehend these statutes and the rights included in the frameworks to better exercise digital rights and better participate in the interconnected digital sphere.
Implications of Digital Privacy and Rights
Digital privacy and digital rights are intricately connected through the aspects of advancement in technology, ethics, and social principles. As this blog has discussed till now, ensuring digital privacy while addressing digital rights needs a clear balance between the two. Nonetheless, the evolving practices are implying severe implications. For instance, Nyst and Falchetta (2017) highlight that data surveillance, data collection practices that evade privacy, and computerized processes for decision-making have major implications in this sphere. Both Ryan-Mosley (2023) and Suzor (2019) highlight that digital surveillance initiated by governments and non-government entities has become a profound practice in this digital age (Image 1). In these ways, the widespread of the mass surveillance programme in conjunction with the aim to increase control over people for various purposes has increased greatly. This leads to greater concerns regarding potential abuse of power by states.
Image 1: Digital Surveillance on the Rise (Ryan-Mosley, 2023)
Digital surveillance aims to check people’s social behaviors, detect crimes, and improve overall well-being in theory. However, such massive surveillance has negative aspects too. Killock (2023) highlights that individuals like Edward Snowden revealed how mass surveillance programs can eventually result in potential abuse of people’s rights and curb their freedom of expression to a great degree (Image 2). Therefore, while digital surveillance may bring positive results, they are also entwined with potential invasion of privacy and curbing the digital rights of people.
Image 2: 10 Years After Edward Snowden’s NSA Mass Surveillance Revelations (Killock, 2023)
Furthermore, as entities are more actively engaging in extensive data collection and analysis, there are increasing concerns about ethical practices related to consent from people and responsible use of data. Suzor (2019) highlights that while disclosing personal information on online platforms, users face the challenge of uncertainty regarding whether they will be able to ensure data privacy or not effectively. This presents a dilemma for all stakeholders. For instance, the case of Latitude highlights how data privacy compromise is a big issue in this age and how millions of people are affected (Sadler, 2022). These instances raise more concerns as the public bodies are also not safe in this era of digital empowerment and progress.
Furthermore, the quickly advancing advancements in technological innovation are carrying moral quandaries. Stahl et al. (2022) note that cutting-edge innovations frequently neglect to appropriately comply with moral qualities and legitimate rules connected with individuals’ computerized freedoms and protection as the attention is just on mechanical advancement. As an example, van Rijmenam (2023) states that the fusion of AI into diverse systems has introduced broad challenges in guaranteeing fairness and staying away from predispositions (Image 3). As the algorithmic frameworks do not contain abstract human knowledge and clear moral positions, they frequently need straightforwardness and reasonableness in the frameworks (Stahl et al., 2022). Consequently, this situation turns out to be more muddled for clients and policymakers the same. Thus, it is important to appropriately explore and appreciate the interactions between computerized security and freedoms to establish a scenario that gloats of inclusive values and safeguarding.
Image 3: Privacy, Bias, and Discrimination Risks in the age of AI (van Rijmenam, 2023)
Cultural Complexities
Amid the discussed intricacies, the part of socioculturally complex intricacies extends the complexities in the digital sphere. According to Nissenbaum (2018), socioculturally identified intricacies and contrasts generally decide individuals’ impression of innovative features and their capacity to practice their rights. Taylor (2017) notes that as social orders are turning out to be progressively multicultural and inclusive, social intricacies are likewise being broadly incorporated into the advanced circle. The values and standards of clients can generally impact how they see the parts of the advanced space. As an example, Harris et al. (2022) feature that the Aboriginal people of Australia put more worth on aggregate security over individual protection instead on Western standards. In this manner, fulfilling the aggregate security needs of these native individuals while likewise ensuring overall protection can challenge.
Also, individuals from different sociocultural foundations have various inclinations, practices, and directions that are straightforwardly connected with their opportunity for articulation. As an example, Kansteiner (2017) proposes that the Jews give significance to the opportunity to communicate their encounters, impact, and current compromises associated with the Holocaust. Consequently, regarding these freedoms, while guaranteeing that others are not disregarded is a basic test in this aspect. Besides, Bergström (2015) noticed that while youngsters are more productive in utilizing the advancements that require individual information, old people may feel uneasy or hazardous because of different reasons. Therefore, these gaps among different generations also play a critical part in the socio-cultural fabric. Thus, it is imperative to understand these cultural complexities to create an inclusive digital space that respects everyone’s digital rights and safeguards their privacy.
The Controversial Case of Latitude
There are several controversies marked with different challenges that heighten the complexities of digital privacy and digital rights. A major challenging critical issue is the assurance of data privacy. Governments and companies are involved in the extensive collection of data from people through different measures and initiatives (Goggin et al., 2017). The use of the gathered data is meant to improve people’s user experience on digital platforms while using innovation to provide better services. However, Flew (2021) highlights that there are massive concerns related to potential exploitation, breaches, and misuse of data due to inappropriate security. Recent data breaches and their impacts have raised this concern. For instance, Sadler (2023) reported that 14 million individuals from Australia and New Zealand were affected when a financial service provider named Latitude experienced a significant data breach in 2023. This incident pointed out the flaws and gaps in the existing systems aimed at data protection.
Image 4: Latitude’s Data Breach Compromised Private Data of Millions of Users (Sadler, 2023)
Moreover, there was also scepticism regarding Latitude’s hand in this incident and this affected people’s trust in the company to a great degree (Sadler, 2023). The case of Latitude highlights that private companies collect extensive amounts of personal information that improve their benefits while they are not properly capable of ensuring data privacy. Moreover, it also features how the governmental foundations and systems fail to ensure the digital privacy of people. Thus, this is a major challenge which becomes more complicated when thought about with digital rights. To elaborate, people have the right to access financial freedom and accessibility through services provided by companies like Latitude. However, Sadler (2023) highlighted how their rights and privacy are violated when they face the issue of compromised digital privacy and rights due to data breaches like in the case of Latitude. Although Latitude also faced financial losses due to this breach, the customers experienced both financial and wider social implications that affected their well-being at large (Sadler, 2023). Further, the scepticism about Latitude’s role in this breach enhances the issue which reduces consumers’ trust in both governmental entities and private companies for their failures to safeguard people. Such instances are not rare and rather, they can be observed globally as the data breaches increase in numbers. Therefore, balancing data collection for improving user experience and maintaining data privacy or security is a profound challenge.
Conclusion
This blog has thoroughly analysed the intricacies related to digital rights and digital privacy to provide insights into how they impact users’ autonomy, social lenses, technological advancement, and cultural perplexities. The discussion has explored the significance of protecting digital privacy and upholding the digital rights of people amid different problems. While the safeguarding of independence has monstrous importance, there is likewise a need to declare freedoms that fundamentally think about the social intricacies and contrasts. In addition, the difficulties of potential power maltreatment through mass reconnaissance and mischief brought about by information breaks ought to likewise be tended to. For this reason, the clients need to work on how they might interpret computerized security and freedoms as completely underscored in this blog. In the interim, they ought to make down-to-earth moves like the utilization of solid and one-of-a-kind passwords and standard protection updates of the devices or programming they use. In the interim, policymakers need to execute stricter and more vigorous information security structures, rules, and measures that maintain advanced freedoms and defend individuals’ protection. In this way, clients can securely and uninhibitedly take part in the computerized domain has commitments and possibilities in store.
References
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