Privacy: A right or a privilege?

Illustration: TBS

There was a time when privacy meant shutting your front door and drawing the curtains. What you said, did, or believed stayed within the walls you trusted. 

Today, those walls have vanished. 

We live inside a digital glasshouse, constantly observed by devices, companies, and even governments. Our smartphones, smart homes, and social media platforms know more about us than many of our friends do. 

The world has changed so quietly that most of us never noticed when privacy stopped being a right and started becoming a privilege — something you need resources, knowledge, or awareness to protect.

The truth is, we are losing privacy not only through hacks or leaks but through our own habits — often willingly. Each time we click "accept all cookies" or "agree to terms," we open invisible doors to our personal lives. 

Our photos, location, and browsing patterns are sold and analysed in ways we rarely understand. In exchange for convenience — a faster login, a smarter app, a personalised feed — we trade fragments of ourselves. What was once considered a human right has slowly turned into a business model.

Few entities illustrate this more clearly than the tech giants that shape our digital existence. Facebook, for instance, changed how the world connects, but also how it's watched. The Cambridge Analytica scandal revealed how personal data from 87 million users was harvested and used to influence elections. 

That single incident showed that our online activity — our likes, friends, and political opinions — could be turned into tools of manipulation. Even after public outrage, Facebook (now Meta) suffered another blow when data from over 533 million users, including names, phone numbers, and birthdays, was found circulating online. For millions, that loss of privacy was not just about stolen data — it was about stolen dignity.

Google, too, has been at the center of controversy. It is the world's most powerful search engine, but it also tracks nearly everything we do online. Even when users thought they had disabled location tracking, Google continued to collect location data in the background. 

In 2022, it paid $391 million in a settlement after several US states accused it of misleading users about these practices. 

As the Electronic Frontier Foundation remarked, "When privacy controls don't actually stop tracking, that's not choice — that's deception." Today, Google's ecosystem — Gmail, YouTube, Maps, Android — builds a digital map of our lives so detailed that we have become predictable to an algorithm.

Social platforms like TikTok and Instagram have further blurred the line between sharing and surveillance. TikTok has faced repeated investigations for transferring user data to China, while Instagram's algorithms track how long we stare at each image, using that microdata to shape what we see next. 

In 2025, 72% of Americans said there should be more government regulation on what can be done with personal data, reflecting growing awareness and concern. Meanwhile, a 2025 global tracking of data breaches revealed that over 9.38 billion individuals were affected worldwide, showing just how pervasive the privacy challenge has become.

Even our homes, once symbols of safety, are no longer entirely private. Smart devices — from Alexa speakers to smart TVs and even vacuum robots — constantly listen, record, and send data to the cloud. 

In one case, Amazon employees were found to have access to recordings from users' Ring cameras. Smart TVs track what we watch, when, and how long, feeding advertising algorithms that monetise our attention. The irony is painful: the more "smart" our homes become, the less control we have over what they reveal.

The workplace has not been spared either. With remote work becoming mainstream, employers now use monitoring software that records keystrokes, takes screenshots, and even activates webcams to ensure productivity. While companies justify it as efficiency, many employees see it as quiet surveillance. The line between professional oversight and personal intrusion grows thinner every day. What started as a temporary pandemic measure has evolved into a culture of data-driven mistrust.

Healthcare and finance, two of the most personal areas of our lives, have also seen significant changes. Healthcare data breaches are among the fastest-growing forms of cybercrime. In 2024 alone, over 276 million healthcare records were compromised worldwide, averaging more than 750,000 records per day. 

Even wellness apps that track fertility, sleep patterns, or mental health may share that data with advertisers. Financial systems, meanwhile, track every transaction, location, and behaviour. Algorithms evaluate creditworthiness, push targeted offers, and sometimes make decisions without explicit user consent. Our financial habits have become part of our digital identity.

Governments around the world have embraced digitisation to make public services faster, more efficient, and more transparent. Digital ID systems, online tax filing, and e-health records have simplified processes, helping millions access essential services with ease. These systems also demonstrate the potential of technology to improve governance and citizen engagement. Naturally, managing such large volumes of personal data comes with responsibility. 

Instances of unintentional personal data exposure underscore the importance of robust privacy practices and inspire governments and organisations to strengthen protections. Digital governance is not only about innovation; it is about resilience and ensuring that citizen privacy remains a central priority in a connected world.

Have we ever stopped to question how much of ourselves we reveal in everyday transactions? When we apply for a bank account, a loan, or even a credit card, we share countless personal details — identity documents, income proofs, addresses, and more. But are these records truly secure once submitted? When service providers verify our identities through security questions, do they consider how exposed this information might be if overheard, recorded, or reused elsewhere?

Everywhere we go, our footprints grow. When we scan QR codes at restaurants, log in with our social media accounts for convenience, or use free Wi-Fi at airports — do we pause to ask where that data goes? When apps request permission to access our photos, contacts, or microphones, are we aware of what we're granting? Even loyalty programs, health surveys, and online contests quietly collect personal insights that build a profile of who we are.

These everyday moments, often overlooked, remind us that privacy isn't just about massive breaches or global policies — it's about the countless small choices we make daily. Each click, upload, and consent carries meaning. Protecting privacy begins not only with strong systems but with individual awareness — a simple habit of asking, "Do I really need to share this?"

The uncomfortable truth is simple: the price of "free" services is our personal information. Every search, like, and purchase becomes part of a vast marketplace of data. As the saying goes, "If you're not paying for the product, you are the product." While wealthier or tech-savvy people can afford privacy tools, encrypted services, or paid alternatives, most users cannot. This has created a new digital divide — not between those with or without internet access, but between those who can or cannot afford privacy.

Yet all is not lost. Awareness is the first line of defence. Simple, conscious actions — reviewing privacy settings, limiting app permissions, deleting location history, using encrypted messaging apps, and being cautious about what we post — can give users back a measure of control. On a broader scale, strong legislation, transparency, and digital rights advocacy are essential. 

By embracing privacy as a shared responsibility, citizens, corporations, and governments can together ensure that personal data is respected and protected as a fundamental right. As Dr Larry Ponemon, founder of the Ponemon Institute, said, "You can't have privacy without good security. Anyone saying otherwise is delusional."

Ultimately, the question isn't whether we have something to hide. It's whether we have the right not to be watched. Privacy is what allows us to think freely, express ourselves honestly, and live without fear of being profiled or manipulated. Losing it means losing a piece of our humanity. In this digital age, defending privacy is not a luxury — it's an act of empowerment. Privacy must never be a privilege. It is, and must remain, a fundamental human right.

Sketch: TBS

B M Zahid ul Haque is an experienced CISO and Global Cyber Digital Transformation adviser. The author can be reached at bmzahidul.haque@gmail.com.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.