Opinion: Can individual privacy be protected in the modern world?

Technological advancements have undoubtedly brought convenience to our lives. However, overwhelming digitization of society, scarcity of users' morals and intrusive governance on personal data have eroded our ability to protect individual privacy in the modern world.

Nowadays, everyone owns a smartphone and benefits from being connected to the Internet anywhere. Yet, society becomes so digitized that individuals are being compelled to have an IT device at least and disclose more personal data. Without registering private information on governmental sites, for example, citizens in this time cannot afford to public services such as healthcare. Once registered, however, it may not be possible for them to control how their data is used and know who is looking at it, thereby making the safeguarding of their personal details unfeasible.

Indeed, the Internet has paved the way for new forms of communication. Unfortunately, some users lack morals and cannot help uploading their privacy online, such as family details or even photos of their children taken at some events. However, criminal gangs wouldn't overlook the smallest details and could find out important personal information in order to sell it illegally. Scandals involving the sale of users' social media data and information, for example, are proof that our digital footprints are now lucrative commodities.

The massive effort required to safeguard the huge amounts of data generated by our daily activities has left lawmakers straggling to keep up. Additionally, the government is committed to digitising citizens' information by promoting digital services such as pension records and my number card. It also has been seeking enactment of laws authorizing themselves in case of terrorism further powers such as wiretapping. Although devising and authorizing such laws is a protracted process, requiring meticulous consideration, it is nevertheless clear that they are being passed without sufficient public understanding.

Thus, in the face of rapid digitalization of society, insensitive users’ privacy crisis and rushing legislation, people's privacy is far from being protected.