Security and privacy on the Internet - Research Paper Example

Individuals generally assume that such information is kept secret by the websites and resources that they entrust with these details; however, data mines like those on the internet can easily be manipulated and used such that compromising information can be turned over. The roles of organized parties in the relationship between individual data provider and collectors of data are not as clear as they should be. For example, one might wonder what the role of internet service providers are, or what the government’s role is, or what the websites themselves are obligated to do in these circumstances.

Although these other parties may, in fact, have a role in ensuring internet privacy and security, ultimately the responsibility lies on the part of the individual person or entity in protecting his or her (or its) information. In terms of the government’s role in regulating for internet privacy and security, it seems that the United States has not lived up to the international standards of privacy protection and comprehensive regulation, which creates a logistical problem for managing the use and abuse of internet resources between borders.

Although new laws have started to address issues such as children’s privacy, financial privacy, and medical privacy, “privacy and security regulations related to the internet are likely to be issues in the future” (Hiller, 2010, p. 263). Clearly, the government perceives for itself a role in managing the privacy and security concerns of a dynamic technological environment. Understandably, this role ought to be kept at a minimal stage, given the inability of governments to react fast enough to changes in technology.

A more relevant perspective for understanding the roles of the parties involved in internet privacy and security is analyzing individuals from the perspective of psychological research. Psychology plays a central role in the issue of privacy because of social attitudes toward the prospect of an individual self, which entitles individuals to a certain degree of space from others (Buchanan, Paine, Joinson, & Reips, 2007, p. 157). In addition, this separation of the self from others trains people, in general, to avoid disclosing personal information about themselves, particularly because this information might be useful in an ever-connected society that modern people live in.

For instance, something as mundane as a routine eye exam, if discovered by an employer by some means that violated its employee’s privacy, could be used to raise that employee’s insurance premiums through the company fund and thus causing him a disadvantage. Of course, the value of privacy differs from person to person but generally as a society, people tend to agree that privacy is a concern when it comes to dealing with interactions online (Buchanan, Paine, Joinson, & Reips, 2007, p. 160).

This kind of attitude is ever more prevalent amongst older generations, who treat their private information as secrets. According to Reeves, Rowe and Gallaher (2007), a better solution when compared to putting individual interests wholly in charge of managing their online privacy and security or entrusting that responsibility to the government is giving some responsibility to internet service providers (ISPs). Some companies that provide internet services to thousands or millions of customers are, according to this report, responsible for making sure privacy is secured.

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