Online Privacy and its Paradoxes:
How Detailed, Quick-to-Read Bullet-Points Could Restore Meaning to Online Privacy
Upon the internet’s birth, the word “privacy” transformed into a concept that technology and consumers tried to follow. With guidelines placed on consumers, in order to use internet applications, it is understandable how some users became blind to the issue. Personal privacy, on the internet, has morphed into a game that consumers consistently seem to lose. Hope exists upon a transparency increase. A detailed notification system will undoubtedly help consumers regain control over their internet presences.
In order to understand how the word “privacy” lost its meaning, consumers must have a decent understanding of three privacy paradoxes. Prior to Dell’s 2016 purchase[1] of the multinational technology company EMC Corporation[2], EMC released their findings on the Privacy Index[3]. They concluded that these paradoxes had “powerful implications for consumers.”[4] The first paradox, “We Want It All,” said, “[c]onsumers say they want all the conveniences and benefits of digital technology, yet claim they are unwilling to sacrifice any of their personal privacy to get them.”[5] Second is the “Take No Action” paradox. It said, “[a]lthough privacy risks directly impact many consumers, most take virtually no action to protect their…
