The Right to Privacy in a Generation of Surveillance

With over 5 billion users worldwide, social media is a major part of our daily lives. Major social media platforms include Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat. They are a simple and engaging way to interact with friends. Nevertheless, this form of interaction comes with a downside, as some of these platforms utilize user’s data in ways that exceed most people’s awareness. The history of privacy breaches on social media is expansive, and the majority of users are unaware of the handling and storage of their information. Our current technology has abused its power in the past for various reasons, but all for one outcome: greed. 

Social media have more access to users' information than we think, and while people automatically click “Agree” on the “Terms & Conditions” pop-up when downloading apps, that simple action gives apps more access to users’ data than users think. Depending on the app, information such as location, address, emails, text messages, phone numbers, serial numbers, credit card information, and more can be accessed and stored. Although this may seem to be a serious violation of privacy that should be subject to legal consequences, no laws prohibit apps from executing this. In fact, by selecting “Agree” on the “Terms & Conditions”, you have willingly given consent to your privacy being stolen. 

Data breaches have occurred for decades, but the most severe breaches in history started just 19 years ago, in 2005. In that year, 136 data breaches were reported, which kicked off the massive increase in data exploitation we are still facing today. Ten years later, Verizon's Data Breach Investigations Report revealed the coverage of over 2,100 data breaches in which more than 700 million records were exposed. These distressing statistics represent a 500% increase in reported data breaches from 2005. 

It is common knowledge that cyber attacks are an ongoing issue, but how damaging can data theft be? What are the outcomes of this heinous act? Although these attacks are conducted online, the value of the crime is just as great as a physical one. Various forms of exploitation can occur through online attacks, some of which lead to financial loss, identity theft, emotional effects, reputational damage, and more. 

Financial losses are one of the most damaging and negatively impactful results of cyber-attacks and data breaches. These losses can occur in multiple ways; the most common being credit card information being revealed. Without a second thought, users enter their financial information into an application, trusting it with that confidential information. However, companies have a lengthy history of selling financial information or using it themselves. In 2023, online marketplace vendor Temu faced severe backlash after being exposed by research centers for possessing self-compelling software, allowing the app access to users' credit card records, text messages, and the ability to install programs onto users' phones without their knowledge. 

Occurring to US citizens every 4 seconds, identity theft is one of the most major and serious crimes we are fighting today. With most of our population using social media, hackers are given more opportunities to commit crimes every day. A simple and common action provides the data collected from social media: oversharing. A report from Tessian revealed that 84% of users post personal information on their social media platforms every week. 

Although perceived as a less serious outcome of data exploitation, the mental and psychological effects of cyber attacks are as impactful and damaging. Individuals who have experienced losses related to cybercrime are vulnerable to a variety of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, panic attacks, other forms of stress. In a survey conducted in Britain in October of 2024, it was revealed that 62% of people who have experienced cyber attacks felt traumatised by the act. Additionally, 55% of people said that they continued to experience anxiety, and 29% said that they experienced sleeping difficulties.

To complete the picture, reputational damage is a lengthy and forceful result of data breaches. After an attack occurs, whether customers are directly affected or not, the company's reputation is permanently damaged. Breaches severely damage customer's trust in a company, and the majority of users will leave. This would serve as a great loss to the company’s reputation and finances. These attacks make the targeted company fragile, and other enterprises will be hesitant to collaborate with them. According to ITPro, enterprises experience a 60% failure rate after it has been disclosed that they have experienced a data breach within the past year. This disclosure builds barriers between customers and the company resulting from a lack of trust. 

In addition, employee recruitment after cyber attacks becomes a difficult and time-consuming procedure. Current employees may feel that their data is not being protected and may feel insecure with their employing company. This contributes to the loss of workers, which then develops into an impactful financial loss. 

Data breaches and cyber-attacks are occurring daily all around the world, and our current technological advancements are contributing to an easier pathway for hackers to commit these crimes. Our generation is undoubtedly a generation of surveillance, in which technology plays a role in every field. The definition of privacy is “to be free from interference and intrusion”, and privacy can coexist with technology. While we live in an era of mass surveillance, it must be accepted that technology is the future. It has paved its way into all industries, and it massively aids people in several ways. The best form of action that can be taken is to perform safe actions both online and in person. Technology cannot be avoided, but it can be mastered and controlled to benefit mankind.

References:

1. De Groot, Julianna. (2018). The History of Data Breaches. Digital Guardian

2. Sullivan, Brian. (2023). Temu is collecting user data including text messages and bank info,  claims Grizzly Research. CNBC 

3. Greenberg, Elizabeth. (2024). The Hidden Mental Health Fallout of Cyber-crime. Digit News

4. Soltan, Florin. (2023). The Hidden Impact of Cyber Attacks on Mental Health. Acronym.

5. Feeley, Micheal. (2023). Too much information: 4 in 5 people are still oversharing personal data on social media. New Digital Age

6. Carnal, David. (2023). 5 ways cyber attacks can damage a company’s reputation. Anapaya