Why Our Personal Data is So Vulnerable: Understanding the Privacy Risks
The average person spends around 400 minutes on the internet every day. If more people were aware of how much data they leave behind them while scrolling the internet, however, we’d expect that number to fall way down.
It shouldn’t be the case. While the internet is data hungry – and a number of data brokers are always on the lookout to build their online profiles – none of this should stop anyone from spending time online. The key is understanding what you’re stepping into.
Everyone’s data is vulnerable when online, but if you know the privacy risks – and, more importantly, how to fight against them – you’ll be in a far better position to browse safely. With this in mind, we wanted to walk through the various privacy risks and what you can do to alleviate them.
The Problem with Google
Over the last twenty years, Google has become synonymous with the internet. In 2024, there are over 5 billion active internet users, and over half of them use Google Search.
But according to a recent report, Google is one of the top ten most data-hungry companies, with nearly 50% of user data harvested. Thankfully, it is possible to remove personal information from the internet.
The Age of the Data Broker
There’s no two ways about it: we’re living in the age of the data broker. In 2024, there are around 4,000 data brokering companies worldwide, each of which collect your data – often without you knowing – to build a profile of you and sell it to the highest bidder.
No matter where you go on the internet, you’re likely to be tracked, and your digital footprint used to formulate this profile – including information like your name, age, gender, your address, and your phone number. Stopping this from happening, however, is pretty simple.
All you need to do is sign up to a service like Incogni that contacts these data brokers and opts out on your behalf. This also solves the Google problem. If your data is taken away from data brokers, you are essentially removing your information from the internet, including Google.
The Rising Tide of Hackers
One of the other privacy risks comes in the form of social media. Just like Google, the majority of internet users have a social media account, with Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram being the main favourites.
However, just as social media is a tool to connect you with people, it’s also a tool for hackers to connect with you. There are so many instances in which users have revealed their own information online, only for it to be taken by hackers and used against them – whether that’s through ‘people search sites’, phishing scams, or identity theft.
The way to avoid this is entirely on you. When you’re using social media, it’s important to keep your personal information at a minimum, and only communicate with people that you know. As you’ve probably figured by now, it’s essential to practise caution on the internet, but nowhere is this more true than on social media platforms. No matter how good they are, don’t just use services to protect your personal data. Use your own initiative too.
