Privacy apathy is real—and you probably have it.

Navigating the digital landscape these days can, quite frankly, be a nightmare. It seems like every page you visit requires you to accept cookies, enter personal information, or create an account in order to properly use the site.

Additionally, data breaches are at an all-time high, with reports of people’s personal data being leaked every single day.

Given the sheer amount of digital noise we have to contend with every day, it’s no wonder people feel overwhelmed by it all. This burnout leads to risky cybersecurity behavior and even potentially dangerous cyber situations—despite the fact that we are constantly encouraged to use privacy software like the best VPNs.

This can only be described in one word – the phrase “Privacy Apathy”. Read on to learn more about what privacy apathy is, why it is so dangerous, and what steps you can take to combat privacy apathy in your daily life.

What is privacy apathy?

Privacy apathy is exactly what it sounds like—when you’re so exhausted and fed up with the various procedures you have to go through to exist online that you simply become apathetic about your own online privacy.

Privacy apathy can manifest itself in a variety of ways, including:

Reuse passwords across multiple accounts
Accepting cookies instead of rejecting them
Entering your personal information on websites
Don’t worry about your data being exposed in a data breach.

It’s important to note that what I call “privacy apathy” isn’t just a lack of education or a lack of understanding of how to stay safe online, it’s knowing what can keep you safe, but admittedly not a choice do it as it is. , much easier.

Moreover, given the scale of data breaches these days, it is not surprising that people view their data breach as a “when not if” situation. In 2023, the number of data breaches increased by 35%, with more than 17 billion personal data leaked in one year.

One of the most prominent examples of this is password manager LastPass’s “The Psychology of Passwords” report, which found that while 89% of people surveyed admit that reusing passwords or using variations of the same password is risky behavior, only 12% of respondents used unique passwords. across all their accounts, and 62% admitted to reusing and/or using variations of the same password across their accounts.

Another Forbes Advisor study found that more than a third (35%) of people admit that they think they were hacked because of a weak password, and one in three say they think they were hacked because they repeatedly used the same password. the same password.

On top of this, All About Cookies found that 38% of Americans blindly “accept all” cookies, despite more than a quarter (27%) knowing that sites cannot store and sell user information if they reject cookies .

One thing is clear; Even though we know what to do to stay safe, we just don’t do it.

Upset black woman using laptop

(Image credit: Getty Images)

How can I combat privacy apathy?

One of the main factors behind privacy apathy is that it is easier to reuse passwords, accept all cookies, ignore password change notifications, and so on.

So how to deal with this? Simple. It will be easier for you to choose a cybersecurity option and ensure your safety.

Use a password manager

If you’re guilty of reusing passwords, and you probably are, then the only way to stop it is to make it easier to create a new password than simply reusing an old one.

Get yourself one of the best password managers that will not only store all your passwords for you, but will also create unique, secure passwords for each of your accounts.

You won’t have to remember or come up with passwords, and you’ll eliminate the possibility of multiple accounts being compromised if one of your passwords is leaked.

Reduce digital noise

Accepting all cookies may be much easier than rejecting all, especially if you have to manually uncheck third parties in the “legitimate interest” section. However, this allows companies to track you and your data.

To reduce the appeal of the “accept all” button, simply reduce that digital noise with cookies and an ad blocker.

VPNs like NordVPN have additional features that can automatically block cookies on websites so you don’t even have to think about them. Another great VPN, Surfshark has a CleanWeb feature that blocks all ads and cookie consent pop-ups, and alerts you to malware and data leaks.

It is important to note that cookies are used for personalization, tracking and marketing, so if you block/reject all cookies, your experience on certain websites may be affected.

Look at the data

Although data breaches seem inevitable, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to protect your personal data no matter what. One way to realize the gravity of this situation is to look at how much of your personal data is available online.

HaveIBeenPwned.com is a handy checker that allows you to check if your email address or phone number has been compromised in a data breach. This will give you an idea of what you need to better protect to prevent your accounts from being hacked.

If you are concerned about the amount of personal data that legitimate companies have collected from you and that could potentially be leaked in a data breach, consider using a data removal service. Data deletion services contact the companies that store your data on your behalf and request that they be deleted.

If nothing else, keep this in mind: If your email address or phone number is leaked, you’ll likely see an increase in annoying scam or spam messages, and no one wants that.

Privacy apathy is real—and you probably have it.

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