The Privacy and Surveillance in Relation to the Internet - Case Study Example

Research Paper on Privacy and Surveillance in Relation to the Internet The radical increase of privacy violations for Internet users worldwide has led authorities to concerns in regard to the effectiveness of existing legislation in regard to the use of Internet. In fact, gaps have been identified both as of the prevention of privacy violations and as of the punishment of these activities. As a result, criminal behavior in Internet has become quite difficult to be controlled, a problem which is related to various factors. The lack of effective cooperation between the authorities for the confrontation of this issue is one of these factors. In addition, it seems that the users of Internet are not fully aware of the consequences and the limitations of Internet use. For this reason, privacy violations and unauthorized surveillance continue to expand globally. This trend is explored in this paper using appropriate literature. It is proved that states have only part of the responsibility for the particular problem. The users of Internet have highly contributed in the expansion of privacy violations since they seem to refuse to follow the terms of Internet use, as clearly highlighted by Internet providers in all countries. When browsing the Internet an internet user receives various message that inform him on the security level of the website visited. However, this function is not equally developed in all web browsers, meaning that there are certain browsers that cannot identify the attempts of malware to harm the computer of the Internet user (King 6). Moreover, the following phenomenon has been also observed: it is possible for a browser to send a message to the user that the website he attempts to visit has problems with its digital certificate but the user cannot understand this message, either because the message appears and disappears instantly or because the user is not aware of the role of digital certificate and cannot realize the risk involved (King 6). In fact, the research developed on this issue has revealed that a high percentage of Internet users are fully unaware of the importance of ‘Internet digital certificates’ (King 6). These users cannot understand the link between these certificates and the privacy risks when browsing the Internet (King 6). On the other hand, privacy violations while visiting a website are quite difficult to be fully controlled. Online network is very complex and it is impossible for all its aspects to be fully explored (Khosrowpour 304). However, there is always the chance that an Internet user is informed on the violation of his privacy while visiting a website; for example, it is possible for the particular Internet user to have an advanced Internet browser that stops any attempt of malware to access private data (Khosrowpour 304). If an Internet user realizes the privacy risks related to a website he is likely to avoid visiting this website again. For this reason, firms that are interested in securing customer loyalty emphasize on the protection of privacy of their customers. HP is an example of such case; trying to show to its customers that it values their relationship the firm has introduced in its website a series of applications that increase safety of personal data during online transactions or while browsing the organizational website (Khosrowpour 304). In fact it is since 1997 that HP’s initial application of such type, the ‘Online Privacy Programme’ (Khosrowpour 304) was introduced. The above programme aims to secure the safety of privacy for the firm’s customers; through this programme a series of strict rules is set in regard to the management of customers’ private data (Khosrowpour 304). The specific initiative of HP proves the following facts: a) privacy risks are not a current problem; rather, these risks can be traced back to the period when the Internet first appeared; b) controlling privacy risks is not easy; specific measures need to be taken not only by the Internet users’ side but also by the side of the organizations that activate online and which are continuously exposed to various Internet threats, such as spam, malware, viruses and so on. In general, by suffering privacy violation while browsing the Internet an individual can be exposed to severe risks: a) if another person, named below as hacker, acquires the Internet user’s personal data, such as name/ surname, date of birth, Passport number or National Insurance Number, then he is able to access the user’s bank account; in many cases, hackers are able to get also the bank accounts of users when the latter develop an online transaction. In such case it is quite easy for the hacker to take all money from the bank account or the credit card of the user without the latter to have a means for his protection (Lyon 189); b) through the unauthorized access to his private data an Internet user is exposed to safety risks; if the name and the address of an Internet user is made known to other persons then his life can be set in danger (Lyon 189). The increasing rates of crimes because of the violation of private data of Internet users has led authorities to search for methods for securing the safety of Internet users while being online (Frackman et al. 222). However, these initiatives have led to another problem: the use of advanced technology for monitoring the online activities of Internet users is not fully aligned with existing laws, especially the laws protecting the right of privacy (Frackman et al. 222). In fact, it seems that in their effort to protect privacy governments are often led to the opposite side, i.e. to the violation of privacy (Humphreys 575). On the other hand, the expansion of online crime is quite rapid. Particular reference should be made to the following two types of such crime: a) cyberbullying and b) cyberstalking. Cyberbullying is a term used for showing the ‘harassment of a person online’ (Cross 117). In order for such harassment to be considered cyberbullying it should be developed through ‘repeated hostile attacks’ (Cross 117). The specific form of harassment has become quite common among teens (Cross 117). Identifying photos from the personal life of a teen and then publishing these photos online is the most usual method of attack used by those involved in cyberbullying (Kraft and Wang 515). The sender of such messages can be identified today by using appropriate software applications; however, the relevant procedure cannot be developed by individuals. Rather, it is necessary for the relevant attacks to be reported to the police (Kraft and Wang 515); then the identification of the person who initiated these attacks can be achieved quite rapidly, a fact that leads though the victim highly exposed. For this reason, most victims of cyberbullying avoid reporting these cases to the police (Kraft and Wang 515). In 2006 an online research was developed in regard to cyberbullying. The findings of the research were quite interesting: about 29% of the participants claimed that they have suffered cyberbullying, at least once, while 11% of the participants admitted that they had committed cyberbullying in the past (Kowalski 248). Another online crime quite common worldwide is cyberstalking. The term denotes ‘the stalking of a person online using information and communication technology’ (Jaishankar 541). Women have been found to be most likely to suffer cyberstalking, compared to men (Axelrod 157). The difference between cyberstalking and cyberbullying is the following: in cyberbullying the victim is aware that someone tries to harm him, even not physically, by publishing material related to his private life online. In cyberstalking the victim may not be aware of the fact that someone monitors his personal life using information published online (Axelrod 157). In other words, cyberstalking can be much more harmful and dangerous than cyberbullying (Axelrod 157). Usually, the authorities become aware of the existence of cyberstalking only after the development of an event that threatens the life of the victim (Axelrod 157). According to the issues discussed above, the protection of privacy while browsing the Internet is quite difficult. Indeed, online navigation has been found to be exposed to a series of risks and threats, such as loss of personal data & fraud, cyberbullying and cyberstalking. Authorities are obliged to secure the private data of individuals while being online. However, at this point another issue appears: the existing framework for the regulation of authorities’ power to monitor the online activities of individuals is inadequate for securing privacy. The issue has been highlighted by Edward Snowden who has warned people worldwide for the excessive involvement of US government in the personal data of Internet users (Griggs and Doug 2014). In fact, according to Snowden US authorities have passed the limits in regard to the surveillance over the Internet (Zurcher 2014 and Neal 2014). In this context, privacy in the Internet takes another role: instead of being considered as a critical personal right it becomes the basis for the violation of a person’s rights. Under these terms, the value of online surveillance as a tool for securing the privacy of Internet users can be doubted. Works Cited Axelrod, Evan. Violence Goes to the Internet: Avoiding the Snare of the Net. Springfield: Charles C Thomas Publisher, 2009. Cross, Mary. Bloggerati, Twitterati: How Blogs and Twitter are Transforming Popular Culture. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2011. Frackman, Andrew, Martin, Rebecca and Claudia Ray. Internet and Online Privacy: A Legal and Business Guide. New York: ALM Publishing, 2002. Griggs, Brandon and Doug Gross. Edward Snowden speaks at SXSW, calls for public oversight of U.S. spy programs. CNN News, March 11, 2014. http://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/10/tech/web/edward-snowden-sxsw/ Humphreys, Lee. “Who’s Watching Whom? A Study of Interactive Technology and Surveillance.” Journal of Communication, 61(2011) 575–595 Jaishankar, K. International Perspectives on Crime and Justice. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge scholars publishing, 2009. Khosrowpour, Mehdi. Emerging Trends and Challenges in Information Technology Management: 2006 Information Resources Management Association International Conference, Washington, DC, USA, May 21-24, 2006. London: Idea Group Inc (IGI), 2006. King, Carolyn. Online Privacy and Security of Internet Digital Certificates. Ann Arbor: ProQuest LLC, 2008. Kowalski, Robin, Limber, Susan and Patricia Agatston. Cyberbullying: Bullying in the Digital Age. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2012. Kraft, Ellen and Jinchang Wang. “Effectiveness of Cyber bullying Prevention Strategies: A Study on Students’ Perspectives.” International Journal of Cyber Criminology Vol 3 Issue 2 July - December 2009, 513-535 Lyon, David. Surveillance Studies: An Overview. London: Polity, 2007. Neal, Dave. Edward Snowden testifies to the European Parliament about the NSA. The Inquirer, March 7, 2014. http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2332899/edward-snowden-testifies-to-the-european-parliament-about-the-nsa Zurcher, Anthony. “Snowden: Surveillance is setting fire to the internet.” BBC News, March 10. 2014. http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-26519307 Read More