The Importance Of Internet Privacy On The Internet

Introduction: During the late nineties the Internet exploded in popularity as more users began to connect to the web. Services like AOL allowed users to connect to the internet and access information through portals. Most internet users originally connected to the web through their computer, but as new technologies became available more people connected to the internet using phones, tablets, game consoles and other devices. In 1993, less than 1% of the global population was connected to the internet. Today, about 44% of the global population is connected to the web (“Internet Users 1993 – 2015,” 2016). As more people have started to connect to the internet, new issues have emerged that were not present during the early days of the Internet. …show more content…
According to Laura Stevens, about 51% of purchases are conducted online, Amazon accounted for about 60% of total internet purchases (Stevens 2016). A large majority of users conduct purchases over the internet which make people weary because they are trusting websites with their bank accounts and credit card information. In 2013 about 40% of smart phone users had their banks application on their phone (Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve 2016). As one can see, a lot of personal information is shared on the web so that users can access bank accounts, shop and complete other financial transactions. As a result of that activity, users are concerned about their privacy. Most users are concerned with the safety of their private information in order to avoid fraud and identity theft. The goals of the users stem from financial and personal concerns which can have a severe impact on their lives. For the average consumer, privacy means the protection of important personal information in order to avoid financial repercussions. Since the users are more concerned with these issues, the Federal Trade commission has implemented regulations that force financial institutions to protect their client’s information. But the users do not concern themselves with issues of government surveillance and their access to information. As one can see there is a disconnect between the three actors and in some cases the goals of each actor contradict the goals of the others. In order to ensure the success of privacy policy all three actors must agree upon what information is deemed private and what should not be distributed under any