Background

Personal information is infringed upon by technology

The use of the internet has rapidly expanded worldwide. In 1995, only 0.4% of the world's population used the internet, but as of March 2022, this figure skyrocketed to 61%. The latest reports indicate that there are currently 4.8 billion internet users globally, with 5.27 billion mobile users, accounting for approximately 67% of the world's total population. The number of global mobile users increased by 117 million in just the past year. Even in the least developed regions globally, the internet has become pervasive, serving as a powerful driver of technological innovation.

As of now, we are still in the era of Web2.0, marked by the dominance of social media in connectivity and interaction. However, the critical issue with Web2.0 lies in the misuse of personal data and privacy infringement. While privacy concerns existed even before the digital age, the current challenges have undergone significant changes due to the internet enhancing the capabilities of governments, businesses, and individuals to violate the privacy of others.

The abundance of privacy in the past was attributed to the lack of capability for others to infringe—monitoring others was difficult, complex, expensive, and required substantial technical expertise, manpower, and financial resources. However, with the development of the internet and the decreasing cost of interactive digital communication, monitoring others has become easy, low-cost, and highly efficient. This significantly increases the potential for internet-related infringements on individual privacy, including the processing of personal identities and information.

The usage and transactions on the internet generate a vast amount of personal information crucial to the business models of companies operating in the digital environment. Understanding the current situation in this rapidly changing multinational landscape poses a major challenge for policymakers, not to mention the complexities of managing it.

Broadly speaking, there are various types of privacy leakage issues on the internet. In the following, we will delve into a detailed exploration of these privacy types.