What Does Internet Privacy Actually Mean?
Internet privacy, often referred to as online privacy or digital privacy, refers to the protection of personal information while using the internet. It includes the right to control what information we share, who we share it with, and how that information is used.
We all instinctively have some idea of what privacy means to us. But defining such a broad topic can still be challenging.
In his book, Why Privacy Matters, Neil Richards defines privacy as “the degree to which human information is neither known nor used.”[1] Meanwhile, Carissa Veliz writes that “privacy is the quality of having one’s personal information […] unaccessed.”[2]
To better understand the full scope of the term, it’s worth highlighting three separate categories of internet privacy: information privacy, communication privacy, and individual privacy.
Combined, these cover the control of personal data collection, secure digital communication, and the freedom to exist online without unwanted interruptions.
The Privacy of Data & Digital Information
Information privacy refers to the idea that individuals should be able to determine how their personal information is accessed and used. This includes, but is not limited to, informing people when their information is being collected online, explaining how long it will be stored for, and what it will be used for.
Many of these principles can be found in digital privacy legislation, like the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and The California Consumer Privacy Act.
The type of information we want to keep private varies from person to person. However, there are some types of personal information that we almost all want to keep private, such as our banking information.
Everyday, we all choose to keep certain information about ourselves private from others. And that’s no different just because we’re online, though the risk of that information being obtained against our will is considerably higher.
Information privacy is an overarching principle that also covers the other two sub-categories of internet privacy.
The Privacy of Online Communications
Communication privacy is a subset of online information privacy that relates directly to our communication data, whether that’s generated when using social media platforms or messaging apps.
Communication data is some of the most sensitive information we generate. If compromised, it poses a significant risk to our privacy and could facilitate unwarranted surveillance or identify theft. In certain countries, communication data could also be used to persecute people based on their political views, sexuality or relationships.
For that reason, there have been several technological developments aimed at protecting our communication data. End-to-end encryption, for example, is now common among many messaging apps.
End-to-end encryption (E2EE) scrambles your message and only the person you’re messaging has the ability to decipher it, ensuring that nobody else – including the app provider – can read your conversation.
However, messaging apps are still at risk from suffering data breaches. For example in 2023, the video chat app, Tigo, leaked 100 million user chats.[3]
The Individual Right to Privacy
Individual privacy means that people should have the autonomy to freely navigate the internet. They should be able to decide what they access without being unduly obstructed, observed or interrupted.
In extreme cases, this could relate to being bombarded with spam or ransomware viruses that prevent you from accessing your files. Additionally, targeted advertising, which relies on acquiring as much information as possible about you, could also be considered to interfere with this right.
Finally, the right to be forgotten is also an example of an individual’s right to privacy. It’s enshrined in the GDPR and means people can request that their information is removed by companies online.