Privacy is one of the most serious issues that are faced online. Since internet has managed to invade every niche and corner of our lives, it is essential that there is a certain line that is drawn in order to protect individuals. Whether it is about the safety of children online, or eCommerce, there is a need for specific internet privacy laws, which protect individuals from being exploited online. Since every sort of covenant or a transaction online requires exchange of personal details, it is extremely imperative that there is privacy in such agreements.
There are many countries like USA, UK and India where government has laid down a few guidelines that are essential for every citizen of that country to follow, while working online. Different countries have to a certain extent different laws or guidelines, but there are various sections in which they all are the same. Such guidelines are only meant for protecting individuals from any sort of misuse or abuse. For condensing exploitation, such laws are mandatory. Even websites online, have laid down an internet protection act, which is not generalized and mandatory for every website. But individual websites, for protecting themselves and their customers, lay such laws, which ensures punishment for the law breaker.
Internet privacy act is absolutely fictitious and not in existence. But it is a part of rules and regulations laid down by each website. These laws are tracking any illegal act committed by any individual.
In USA, privacy is considered to be a ‘penumbra right’.
There are various threats to privacy online, which are combated by various internet privacy tools or software, apart from internet privacy laws. Such as cookies, malware, web bug, phishing, malicious proxy server, and social engineering. Even the information that is available with the agencies of the government related to individuals is also subjected to debates these days. Advocates and other civil libertarians feel that intricate information that is available with the government agencies are not safe and can be misused.
Since different people have different degrees at which they feel their privacy is violated, it becomes very difficult for government to issue a general internet privacy law which is valid for each and every individual. On social networking websites, people openly put up their personal information, share their photos and announce various evens important in their life openly. Webmasters and hackers can very easily get access to such information, but doing a little of their master tricks. This is illegal and many people are being exploited online.
