Internet Privacy

1323 Words3 Pages

Internet Privacy

It has become a sad and upsetting fact that in today’s society the truth is that the right to one’s privacy in the I.T (information technological) world has become, simply a joke. In an electronic media article “No place to hide”, written by James Norman, two interesting and debatable questions were raised: ‘Are we witnessing the erosion of the demarcation of public and private spaces brought on by the networked economy and new technology?’ Also, ‘What roles do government, industry and citizens have in regard to censorship and privacy?’ These statements ultimately end with the fact that it is impossible for Net users to expect privacy online, because online privacy doesn’t exist. However, one must ask, ‘What will be done about the problem?’ while keeping in mind that yes, the thin line between public and private spaces has been severed as a result of new technology. It is vital that everyone as users of the internet, be it government, Internet Service Providers (ISP’s), or individuals, need take the issue of internet privacy very seriously, while basing all actions towards the issue with the moral statement of, ‘Rights aren’t free, they’re earned’.

The issue of Internet privacy is not a new topic. Numerous articles displaying the urgency of the issue have been published time and time again. Yet no immediate action seems to have taken place. The issue of privacy over the Net can be in the form of personal privacy, privacy of details, and even physical privacy. The Sunday Mail published a special three-page report on June 4th 2000, outlining a variety of cases where individual’s privacy, had been invaded over the Net through various chat sites. This report was based as a warning to parents, telling of how children, and young teenagers are having their personal privacy invaded by perverted older individuals, who seduce them. Another electronic media article was that of ‘Internet privacy? What privacy!’ by James Norman. This article focused on the problems of Internet privacy, rather than the solutions, however it did come up with various interesting comments. Norman states, ‘Given the number of entities that have access to our personal information through databases and list-swapping, it becomes impossible to know how our lives are being rifled through’. Which is completely true, once you’re information is on the Net, it free for the tak...

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...n what is being done in the present situation, about Internet security and the protection of privacy. ISP’s, industry groups, the public sector and humble Net surfers will have to wait and see how international laws and precedents filter down into new Australian copyright and privacy laws. There has been a vital wall that has been abolished which once separated the public side of the internet from the private side, that wall must be re-built. That can only be done by the users, with them realizing that ‘Rights aren’t free, they’re earned.’ If everyone does what is morally ‘right’, the joke will become serious.

Sources Cited

Ø (2000). IT: No place to hide. (Online). Available at: http://www.it.fairfax.com.au/ecommerce.html

Ø (2000). IT: Internet privacy? What privacy! (Online). Available at: http://www.it.fairfax.com.au/e-commerce.html

Ø (2000). How Web Servers’’ Cookies Threaten Your Privacy. (Online). Available at: http://www.junkbusters.com

Ø (1999). PRIVACY TIMES.COM. (Online). Available at: http://www.privacytimes.com

Ø (1997). Keep Out! Private. (Online). Available at: http://www.winmag.com

(2000). The Sunday-Mail, June 4th p.65

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