What is the virtual and digital world and how our privacy is into this?

Virtuality is the one which we cannot see, and the virtual or digital world is the world which we cannot see. But in today’s generation, every individual, legal entity, company, the government authorized commissions, data security is in the digital world. It seems hard to believe the next person standing by your side. But we
easily believe the stranger that you met on the internet/ social media. So, It is challenging to build up your trust and courage in the real world. But it is easy to trust and build up courage in the virtual and digital world. It indicates we are more inclined towards the digital and virtual world than the real world. As we are more into the digital and virtual world, obviously privacy in the digital world comes and it plays an accountable role. Being addicted to this world, do we question such issues which have been raised all over the world. Do we ever ask how the world has become a global village, and each individual is under the surveillance of anonymous identity?

Do we ever ask the following question:

• Is privacy dead in the digital/virtual/online world?
• Is someone spying on us?
• Are we blindfolded while using the internet?
• Are our civil, political, fundamental, human rights secured?

These are the question that makes all people around the world curious about their freedom, liberty, privacy, and security. Some facts laid down by the research done by America discovered that last month 145 million Americans were victims of data breaches. The Cambridge Analytical scandal in 2018, which took the lid off the exploitation of personal data to sway the elections in many countries. These acts are beyond the fundamental and human rights. The privacy of ours, the personal belongings which we owe like voting right, social security, birth date, telephone number, credit cards, personal social media accounts can be access in a single click. The valuable information of our can be publicly distributed and misused by the wrong hands and depraved mind in just a single click from any nook and corner of the world.

This graph shows the breach of data took in the digital space of US in different time periods. Image source: statista.com

“NAKED ON NET”

We are naked on the net. The few digits keywords are not our safe lock. A paradox just fits the scenario; we say, “ I care deeply about my privacy” and in behavior “ a free package, a discounted package,” and here we go “okay, why not! Here is my information”. We are far from the legitimate and reasonable use of personal information. In this century, cyber cases are increasing day by day, and still, we are unaware of the consequences of our deeds; yet, we are blindfolded; nevertheless, we provide access to all our information to the world, which we haven’t seen.

Who are victims

As a consequence of this, girls are mostly the prey of such cyber-attacks. Other unethical activities like hacking accounts, accessing the data, chats, photos, personal information, posting vulgar, and pornographic subject matter in the name of the girl, and we have seen such barbaric acts. We have seen teen girls as well as guys facing the consequences and even taking the steps of suicide. There is a spider net beside the veil of the internet. And as we try to lift the cover, we ended in the trap. Many government official data suffer from the data breach. It has led to the leakage of confidential data, created cold war, the success of terrorist attacks, the downfall of the economy, and so on. We jumped to the modern ways of storage of data leaving behind the pile of files and handwritten documents towards the hard disk system. But think for a second, which was more secure?

In the context of Nepal,

There is a provision of cyberlaw in the electronic transaction Act 2063. Section 44 of the Act has the provision of up to 3 years imprisonment or thirty thousand fine or both In case of pirate destroy, alter computer source code knowingly or with mala fide intention. And section 45 of the same Act has the provision of twenty hundred thousand fine or three years imprisonment or both according to the seriousness of the crime. Section 48 has the provision related to confidentiality divulge, and the offender can be liable up to ten thousand fine or two years jail or both. Section 52 talks about computer fraud and has sanction up to 2 years or 1 lakh fine or both. Although these laws are prevailing in Nepal, the practical implementation is still not seen. Due to a lack of investigation and cyber forensic, there are many loopholes for the convicted offender to escape. Money cut the bars of the jail.

“ARE WE BECOMING PREY OF ANONYMOUS ATTACK?”

They will always be able to spy anytime from anywhere, no matter what rules or laws are there. As long as you are associated with the virtual world, someone is beside the veil capturing your actions. It is up to us to let our privacy and chastity to be snatched or make it secure. The internet is a boon as well as a curse. The hands of the user decide the action of blessing or the bane. The internet can ease, make life convenient, build world global village, but on the other side, it can ruin a breath, take life, create chaos, bring you to the grave also. Without individual privacy, there is no meaning of own life, liberty, democracy. It is more practical, being wise and thinking twice. Always remember someone is spying on you, behind the virtual world, where you believe that you are roaming freely. There is no privacy in the virtual world every time you are under the eye of someone.

You can also read our previous post on the topic – Get quick ideas and facts about bitcoin, Blockchain, and bitcoin mining.

by Sapana Bhandari
– Legal Consultant

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