Data Privacy and Data Protection : The Right of User’s and the Responsibility of Companies in the Digital World

With the continuous advancement in technology and massive increase in internet usage, the concepts of data privacy and data protection is a hugely debated topic. This is because, the service providers who manage the websites, applications and social media platforms often collect and store user’s personal data with the objective of providing adequate services to best suit each user’s preference. Usually, these digital service companies are saddled with the responsibility of protecting the personal data of the users from unauthorised access and against all vulnerabilities.However, instances arise where these platforms fail to adequately place safeguards to protect the data collected and this results to a data breach and exposure of users sensitive data to unauthorised parties who can use the personal data to defraud and harass the users or to send unwanted adverts without the users consent. Thus, infringing on the users’ fundamental right of privacy and freedom to freely express themselves. Hence, the need for companies to adopt defensive mechanisms to ensure an adequate protection of users’ personal data and also awareness by the users that they have a right of control over which personal data to share and with whom it is shared. This paper is divided into three parts with the first discussing the rights of users and responsibilities of companies as well as the established regulations in the protection of data. The second part of this work considers the issues surrounding data privacy and data protection and the challenges faced in ensuring the safety of users’ personal data. Finally, the last part offers a series of recommendations and conclusion