Introduction
The use of internet has spread out globally and become more popular with the advancement of technology. Initially only a few people in society could access and use the internet. However due to the innovations in technology and the trend of globalization the use of internet has spread to virtually all corners of the world. As a result the internet occupies a central place in modern communications. Be it business or any other form of communication, the use of internet has had far reaching impact on the aspect of communication. The use of email in communication has overtaken other forms of communication. Business organizations no longer invest if letter communication likes the past. It has hence become easier for information to be passed on to many people within a very short time. However the use of internet has prompted certain concerns that have come with the new technology. Chief among this is the aspect of privacy for internet users. This is a major concern for the internet users bearing in mind that hackers temper with the technology to access private information. Therefore the major questions often asked involve how to protect internet users from hackers. Therefore the major threat to the internet technology is the issue of safety and security.
Internet Use
The internet which is also referred to as the World Wide Web is a network through which communication is done. The internet has been in place for along period of time. However the technology used in the communications has been advancing with the passage of time. Through the World Wide Web and the hypertext transfer protocol, messages are transmitted as well as the exchange of data (Rice & Katz, 2002). The internet involves a set of hardware and software which affect the transfer of information and the transmission of data. Through the intent individuals can post various messages which can be accessed by all those who have the internet connection. The use of internet has many benefits which spurn from economic benefits to social networking. In fact networking is the most common feature of the internet now a-days. As a result the internet has a lot of implications in the nature of society today. The impact is both positive and negative.
Email is a way of communication which is enabled by the internet. This is similar to the other ways of sending messages only that it is unique due to the use of the internet. At the same time through the internet the messages can be sent to different people at the same time with a faster speed. The email has redefined communication in a great way. Though initially used for social networking and sending of friendly messages by friends, email has become a major corporate tool through which information is shared between the organization and employees. It has become easier for organizations which have branches in different geographical places to reach their employees at any given time. Major corporate announcements are done through the internet by sending emails to the concerned parties. As a result organizations have been equipped with computers and internet connections through which communication is done.
Privacy policies
The privacy of the internet is a major concern in the society today. This is due to the real possibility where private information is accessed on the internet. This is major specifically due to the acts of hackers who accessed confidential information. The privacy issue is the major challenge and threat of the use of internet. Increased cases of fraud and scams have challenged the use of internet. At the same time the use of anonymous serves and links have increased exponentially (Gralla 2002). This are normally used to spread information which cannot be authenticated. As a result there is huge risk since some of the information posted online cannot be accounted for. Abuse has also taken toll in the internet. Since there is no law that governs the internet, the crimes and ills of the internet have kept growing every each other day. Therefore there is need for an international cyber law that will govern the use of internet all over. This will bring about discipline and accountability which are key ingredients in the internet. Several policies have been developed with the aim of handling the security issue on the internet. This has been necessitated by the increased case of hacking and abuse on the internet. However majority of these have not been successful due to the lack of a cyberspace authority of international legislation to this effect. Therefore there is need for a more serious approach to the whole idea of privacy on the internet. Most of the case involving hacking and online fraud is investigated by national governments in the jurisdiction in which they occur. But this has not been sufficient for the cases. Lack of a uniform approach to deal with cases of hacking and fraud is a major handicap in the use of internet in the modern world. National laws have not been effective in the role of handling case of safety and security in the internet. Efforts must therefore be done to ensure that an international legislation is put in place so as to guarantee the safety and privacy of information on the intent. At the same time regulation of content is also needed so as to ensure that only necessary and accountable information is relayed on the internet.
Conclusion
The internet offers array of opportunities to the modern world which goes along way in assuring faster and efficient communication. Through the internet virtually all types of communication and data transfer are affected. The internet has been around for some time, however with the advance in technology several changes have been witnessed in the use of internet. The internet serves the corporate sector well just as it serves the society. Social networking has come to be defined by the use of internet. As result the use of internet has far reaching implications and consequences on the modern society. However there are several factors that threaten and challenger the use of internet in our society. Chief among these is the aspect of security, safety and privacy. As a matter of fact the internet is less safe now and acts of fraud, scams, and abuse have become rampant. Due to the lack of a credible law governing the cyberspace online crimes have skyrocket in the recent past. As a result there are concerted efforts to put an end to this trend through the creation of privacy policies. However there is need for greater efforts especially with regard to the formation of an international cyber law that will govern the global use of internet. The paper has taken an analytical look at the role of internet in our society as well as the issue of privacy.
References
- Gralla, P. (2002). The complete idiot’s guide to Internet privacy and security. New York: Alpha Books.
- Rice, R. and Katz, E. (2002). Social consequences of Internet use: access, involvement, and interaction. Washington: MIT Press.