The issue of internet safety is now front and center for many countries around the world. In the Asia-Pacific region, users are facing an even greater challenge of how they can ensure their online privacy amid the rising number of cases when it comes to data breaches.
Google searches on privacy, data breaches up 20% in 2021
In 2021, tech giant Google saw an over 20 percent increase in searches related to privacy and data breaches. This is important, particularly in relation to the surge of Internet users during the past two years; Google pointed out that “millions of people throughout Asia-Pacific have started using the Internet for the first time” over the past two years, and this has boosted the region’s online population to more than 2.5 billion.
Data and privacy breaches are among the top issues that many Internet users are facing today, and it’s not just in the Asia-Pacific region. As the ENV Media report on proxies and internet privacy noted, “High-profile privacy breaches (by tech giants, government slip-ups and investigation leaks) end up disturbing public sentiment everywhere but they create more waves in the West.”
Currently, there are existing privacy measures that promise user safety by obscuring some of the consumer preferences; however, these sometimes only end up confusing the users who are already overwhelmed by the need to bypass geo-blocking and other restrictions. Countries, including India, have also tasked government committees to review bills targeting data protection and how law enforcement authorities can address incidents of data breaches. India’s Joint Parliamentary Committee has already filed its recommendations for the Indian Data Protection Bill, which, among others, seeks to cover not just personal data but non-personal data as well.
How proxies help guard online privacy in the digital realm
It’s evident that the world is becoming an increasingly digital-first environment, especially during the pandemic that had forced people to stay indoors for their safety. But this safety doesn’t necessarily translate to the digital realm, where the increasing number of hacking activities and companies making money from their users’ personal data makes it even more important for all users to get smarter with online privacy.
This awareness about the importance of online privacy has paved the way not just for the rise in Google searches for any information about internet security and data breaches, but also for the increased popularity of residential proxies among users, particularly given how residential proxies is considered to be one of the highest quality type of proxy for staying anonymous.
Now, more than ever, tools like proxies are playing a major role in safeguarding the user’s internet privacy since they act as a secure gateway between the users and the internet, providing different levels of privacy and security depending on the user’s needs.
According to the ENV Media researchers, “The undeniable and continuous awareness growth among online users about the importance of their privacy and protection leads industry experts to project a lasting and sustainable expansion of proxy markets. Users who generate demand for richer entertainment offers and internet freedom, similarly, can fuel the rise in proxy and VPN adoption across the globe.”
