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Privacy and security with UR Browser

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Digital Privacy – An Elaborate Study Of Security In The Cyber World

Many digital privacy questions have been asked around the internet, some regarding its benefits whereas others were more focused on its disadvantages. In order to give a better understanding of the whole concept of digital privacy, this article has been written to include all the digital privacy pros and cons, reforms, rules and, regulations.

Many digital privacy quizzes and tests are available on the internet in order to increase the knowledge of web browser users about how their personal information and search history may be at risk.

digital privacy advantages

Digital Privacy – Advantages

  • Protects Those Vulnerable To Exploitation

This may include children who are using the internet without any adult supervision or even any permission. With an increase in digital privacy not only will any suspicious websites will be opened but any inappropriate content may also be blocked. Such a private browser may be UR-Browser, this contains the ability to automatically scan any opened websites for viruses and later block them.  

  • Easier To Access All Websites

Similarly, many websites or applications may not be accessible in various countries. With the use of a private browsing system and a virtual private network, many of the said websites or applications can be obtained as these private browsers hide your actual location.

  • Creates A Balanced System

Many “special” users on the internet who are said to be conspiracy theorists always wait for the opportunity for the government to interfere into the daily lives of regular citizens. When internet privacy is being undertaken, these theorists have little to no ability to comment on any posts or blogs which may be abusive or rude.

Digital Privacy – Drawbacks

  • Creates The Potential For Abuse

Although digital privacy is very important and beneficial, there may also be some cons that come with it. First of all, the use of private browsers and virtual private networks creates anonymity amongst many users. This, in turn, results in the ability for users to abuse others as they have no fear of getting caught. VPNs and private browsing networks hide the location and IP address of the user and block websites from gaining access to the user. Thus, people may become abusive by using profane language and comments on different applications or software.

  • May Harm Businesses and Their Market Tracking

Many companies and businesses may use internet tracking in order to gain more information on potential customers by looking up their interests and likes on the different websites that they access and the pages and accounts that they have liked or followed on various social media applications.

Digital privacy protection may hide all this information from marketers which will make it difficult for them to verify whether or not customers may be interested in their products.

Digital Privacy Regulations

Different countries have different rules and regulations regarding digital privacy, however, most of them tend to be of the same concept with the majority of laws being similar. For instance, in 2012, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was introduced as a set of rules and regulations in the European Union that was designed to protect internet users from the tracking and unfair data collection of any kind.

The user must be sure that the certain browser or virtual private network (VPN) that they use is in line with the laws of their country. The UR-Browser follows all the laws and regulations set by the EU regarding digital privacy which ensures its users that their data and personal information will remain safe and secure at all times.

Digital Privacy Risks

Another very important reason to use a private browser and/or a virtual private network is because of the risks involved with the concept of digital privacy.

Internet privacy threats and risks are a massive problem in the cyber world and they should be taken very seriously.

  • Public Wi-Fi

Although it may be slightly shocking, public Wi-Fi is actually extremely dangerous in context to digital privacy risks. This is due to the fact that public Wi-Fi networks have little to no encryption available, resulting in hackers and dangerous third parties being able to easily access the data going through your device and the World Wide Web.

However, through the use of private browsers such as the UR-Browser, this risk may be reduced.

  • Social Network Risks

Although many people use all social media applications, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc., they all do involve a very high-risk level.

Facebook includes the user’s location, pictures, phone number and, name, this makes it very easy for potential hackers or stalkers to gain a victim.

Twitter, on the other hand, includes the location of its users on their pictures and tweets.

Many social networking applications have introduced a measure to increase privacy such as including the options for sharing photos, videos and other information with only selected people. However, some other applications are still proving to be a risk to social media users.

Digital Privacy Solutions

The solutions to digital privacy may be too long to discuss. However, when considering software for solving the digital privacy problem, one should look for an application or software that is compatible on both the mobile phone and PC or Mac, has ensured safety policies and, follow legal rules as well.

Many websites and applications nowadays already include a digital privacy statement or privacy policy to make sure that the users are satisfied prior to use.

Digital Privacy Reform

Digital privacy has had many improvements over the last few years in various countries around the world. For instance, many countries have changed or updated the definition of “personal information” in privacy laws in order to make it more appealing to daily factors.

Furthermore, in the United States, the digital privacy Supreme Court case gained popularity in June 2018 when the Supreme Court announced that the Fourth Amendment will be applied to digital privacy matters as well. In more general terms, authorities will need a search warrant to trace and access the mobile phone and other electronic devices during a criminal investigation.

Just as so, many digital privacy reforms have taken place in Japan over the years. The most vital year being 2014, where many changes were bought to the Information Protection Act.

May you have a happy, successful and more private year!

Browser, VPN, privacy, security, internet browsing, internet security, digital identity

We should all be aware by now that 2018 was a watershed year for digital privacy and data protection, marked by one Facebook or Google scandal after another.

Leading with Facebook Cambridge Analytica fiasco, Mark Zuckerberg’s congressional testimony, a massive hack, and revelations of corporate smear campaigns were only the tip of the iceberg. (Refer also to: A bug may have exposed the unposted Facebook photos of millions ; Facebook is using your two-factor-authentication phone number to target ads ; Facebook has been collecting call history and SMS data from Android usersUK Parliament publishes Facebook secret documents showing ‘whitelisting’ firms in return for access to data)

The Facebook privacy issues revealed last year should not overshadow other important revelations like: Strava’s heat map exposing military locations; The giant Marriott hack or Google’s already obsolete Google+ bug that may have exposed private data from millions to its third-party apps;

It’s important to acknowledge the above and understand that some tech companies, and unfortunately some of the most trusted ones, not only harvest gazillions of users’ data but also employ flawed systems to use, share and profit from it. The zenith of privacy invasion played out in a report that alleged both Facebook and Google partnered with banks and bought financial data in secret, trying to get access to yet another sensitive category of private user information.

The aforementioned tech companies, and many other less well known, put their profits before your privacy, and actually built business models that demanded it. In addition, there is nothing FREE and we the users are often the product being monetized.  By itself there is nothing wrong with a consumer getting a free service and enabling profit for the service provider through some element of behavior and/or identity, as long as the profiting entity makes disclosures around business practice, doesn’t abuse the user’s trust by violating their own terms, and has no hidden tradeoffs that a user only finds out about after the fact.

So, what is next for 2019? It could continue with other giants like Microsoft, Amazon or Apple, especially with the latest digital assistant trend, but at this point it would only be speculation.

In any case, we should keep protecting our devices and be aware of which free or paid services we use. Put simply, we must be aware of and take action around our own digital identity.

To that end, great things happened as well, in the context of privacy, during 2018. Moreover, we salute and support initiatives like Europe’s GDPR law, trying to get back more privacy for consumers, but currently far from perfect in practice. It is still worth supporting and following how it will succeed in combating the most sophisticated tracking methods, like browser fingerprinting. Besides the European Union, many publications and organizations, such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation, started drawing attention to the ways Google, who owns the most used browser and largest tracking network in the world, uses its power to protect its own interests rather than protecting its users.

 

The good and the bad around privacy, in 2018, further validated the need for privacy awareness and tools, therefore fueling our conviction around UR Browser, including the addition of more simple-to-use privacy features.

Chrome further strengthens its dominance.
When shall we have
a countervailing power?

The January 2018 figures compiled by Net Applications and relayed by Computer World show us that Internet Explorer, Edge (Microsoft) and FireFox (Mozilla) have again lost ground against the now hegemonic Google browser: Chrome. Continue reading

Learn all about the Chrome ad-blocking feature.

Google has just confirmed the launch of the ad-blocking feature on Chrome, which was announced more than a year ago. What will be the specific scope of this ad-blocking function? We shall tell you everything in this article. Continue reading

The growth hack of Microsoft Edge in its fight against Google Chrome.

Google is the undisputed leader in the browser market. Chrome indeed brings together 67.5% of users on computer (desktop / laptop).
You may have forgotten it but there was a time when Internet Explorer, Microsoft’s historical browser, was the market leader. Continue reading

Tim Berners Lee wants to restore the web to its former glory.

tim berners lee web

Tim Berners Lee has repeatedly expressed his disappointment regarding the worldwide web’s evolution, segmented in silos and proprietary platforms, at odds with the philosophy of his pioneers. Continue reading

The Privacy Paradox

facebook likes group of people liking

In recent years, internet users are increasingly concerned about their online privacy. Ad blocker and VPN services have flourished, as users religiously check remove their cookies and check their spyware detectors. However, there exists a “privacy paradox.” Although people seem to be concerned about their privacy, their actions don’t necessarily reflect their worries.

A recent meta-analysis of 166 studies, including 75,269 participants, explored this paradox. Those who are concerned about their privacy are more inclined to regularly delete cookies, use strong passwords and generally take precautions when browsing.

However, when it comes to social media, these same users disregard these worries, even when they know that their data could be against them. Many of these users behave carelessly online, allowing much of their data to be made public. Privacy concerns appear to go out the window with social media, partly due to the fact that social media appeals to a basic human need: social interaction.

“Because people’s concerns about privacy don’t seem to translate into behaviors to protect privacy, it is quite easy to envision a future in which everything we do online becomes part of our public reputation.”

Read more on Harvard Business Review.

EU Not Confident that US Will Uphold Privacy Shield

US-EU flags merge

The Privacy Shield may be in limbo according the EU officials. With the FCC recently rolling back internet privacy rules, the EU is concerned about the future of the US-EU Privacy Shield.

The European Parliament voted on a resolution last week that would ask the European Commission (the executive branch of the EU) to ensure that Europeans’ data is being protected, as agreed upon in the US-EU Privacy Shield.

The Privacy Shield came into effect in July 2016, after the previous Safe Harbor agreement was declared invalid by European courts in 2015. Less than a year into it, the Privacy Shield is on the rocks—the object of two lawsuits, and to date, lacking an ombudsman to oversee complaints.

Read more on The Daily Dot.

 

UR is a secure web browser based in the European Union. Our goal? Protecting your data. Find out more about privacy in UR.

 

Inventor of WWW Shares His Worries

Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the WWW

Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the WWW

Over 28 years ago, Sir Tim Berners-Lee submitted his original proposal for the world wide web. He envisioned it as an open platform that would allow people all over the world to share information, access opportunities and collaborate.

Berners-Lee outlines his three serious challenges he believes “…we must tackle in order for the web to fulfill its true potential as a tool which serves all of humanity.”

1. Loss of control

Companies and governments are going to far by increasingly watching our every move online, and passing extreme laws that invade our privacy rights. As our data is then held in proprietary silos that we can’t access, we lose out on the benefits we could realize if we had direct control over this data, and chose when and with whom to share it.

2. Information spreads

Nowadays, social media sites and search engines are information lifelines. In fact, these sites make more money when we click on the links they show us, so they choose what to show us based on algorithms which learn from our personal data that they are constantly accumulating. The outcome is usually misinformation, or ‘fake news’, which is surprising, shocking, or designed to appeal to our tendencies.

3. Online political advertising

Democracy is being questioned with online political advertising. The fact that most people get their information from just a few platforms and the increasing sophistication of algorithms drawing upon rich pools of personal data, means that political campaigns are now building individual adverts targeted directly at users.

 

Read the in-depth essay from Berners-Lee on the World Wide Web Foundation

UR prides itself giving people back the control over their online privacy.  Learn more about UR’s privacy features.

Trump Repeals Privacy Protections

The Trump administration gets rid of privacy protections for internet users.

The Obama-era is over and the future of privacy is getting even murkier. This past Monday, President Trump signed a repeal of online privacy protections established by the Federal Communications Commission (FFC) under the Obama Administration.

Internet providers now have a much larger scope than consumers with the way they share or sell customers’ browsing history for advertising purposes. This data stream is a sacred vessel for advertisers because it allows them to build much richer profiles on consumers so that they can better target ads.

Read more here The Verge

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