Internet Privacy: What It Is, Risks & How to Protect It

The internet has become woven into almost every aspect of our daily lives: work, communication, shopping, entertainment… In this context, online privacy has emerged as a central concern. Did you know that Spain is the European country most worried about online privacy? According to a recent study, 87% of Spanish people express concern about their privacy online. But what does online privacy actually mean, and why does it matter so much? Below, we take a comprehensive look at what privacy on the internet means, why we should care about it, the common risks involved, how we can protect ourselves, and what our rights are as users.

Índice

What is online privacy?

We can define online privacy as the control a user has over their personal information on the internet and the ability to decide how and with whom it is shared. In other words, it is the user's right to determine who can access their personal data and for what purposes. This covers not only information we consciously provide (for example, when registering on a website), but also information generated while we browse or use online services — sometimes unconsciously or indirectly.

What counts as personal information? It includes all personal data that can identify or describe you. For example: full name, email address, phone number, postal address, national ID number, passwords, IP address, and even your search or online purchase history. Technical data such as cookies that track your web activity or the metadata embedded in your photos can also fall into this category. The content you generate on social media — posts, likes, comments — is likewise part of your personal information online.

Maintaining online privacy also means protecting the confidentiality of that information: ensuring that only authorised individuals or entities can access certain data. Privacy and confidentiality go hand in hand; in essence, we want our personal data not to be publicly exposed without our consent, thereby preserving our personal privacy in digital environments.

Why does online privacy matter?

Online privacy matters just as much as privacy in the offline world. It forms part of our fundamental right to privacy and personal intimacy — a right enshrined in the Spanish Constitution. In Spain, the right to privacy is protected by data protection laws and regulations, reflecting its importance at both a legal and social level.

Think about your daily life: you probably would not share every detail about yourself with a stranger you have just met, would you? In the same way, online we should not disclose more personal information than is necessary. Why should you care about your online privacy? Because your security, your reputation, and even your freedom depend on it. If you do not control who knows what about you, you become vulnerable to others exploiting that data against you or without your knowledge.

Privacy matters because it protects your personal information from misuse. For example, keeping certain financial or medical data private can prevent discrimination or unjust refusals — imagine an insurance company discovering, through your online activity, that you have been searching for information about a serious illness, and then denying you a policy. Privacy is also essential for preserving our freedom of expression and autonomy: knowing that every click or message may be monitored could discourage us from browsing or communicating freely.

This is not about "having nothing to hide" — it is about deciding what we share and with whom. Ultimately, our personal information has real value. Major technology companies build their entire business model on collecting user data to personalise advertising and content. Without adequate safeguards, that practice can intrude on our private lives far more than we might expect. For all these reasons, online privacy is a critical issue that affects all of us.

Common privacy risks and threats online

Browsing the internet without taking precautions is a bit like leaving your front door wide open. Openly exposing your personal data and information carries a range of risks. Below, we outline the most common threats to online privacy and the consequences they can have:

Loss of control over your data: One of the biggest problems is that we often have no real idea who is collecting our data or for what purpose. When we use social media, mobile apps, or simply browse the web, we may be handing information to multiple parties — internet service providers, app developers, advertisers, and others — without even realising it. This lack of control can result in our data being used in ways we never anticipated. For instance, detailed profiles can be built about our habits, preferences, political views, or health, by combining the many small pieces of data we leave behind across different sites.
Invasive advertising and constant tracking: You have probably noticed that after searching for a product or discussing a topic, you suddenly start seeing related adverts everywhere. Companies use cookies and trackers to collect data about your browsing behaviour and then serve you targeted advertising. While receiving personalised ads may seem harmless — or even useful — it means that third parties are monitoring your activity and building a profile about you. Taken too far, this invades your digital privacy: they know which sites you visit, what you buy, what times you go online — all to bombard you with tailored marketing.

Cybercriminals and identity theft: It is not only companies that want your data — cybercriminals do too. The more personal information available about you online, the more vulnerable you become to phishing (scams designed to steal your passwords or banking details), fraud, and identity theft. For example, if an attacker obtains your national ID number, date of birth, or other personal details, they may attempt to impersonate you to take out services or make purchases in your name. Or if they trick you into revealing your password, they could access your online banking and steal money. Exposing sensitive data increases the likelihood of becoming a victim of cybercrime.

Cyberbullying and online harassment: Another threat is the malicious use of your personal information by other users. Sadly, the internet sees frequent cases of cyberbullying, where someone shares or exploits personal data, photos, or private conversations to humiliate, threaten, or harm another person. Wondering how to protect yourself from cyberbullying? Much of the answer lies in limiting the personal information you make publicly available. If strangers cannot access intimate photos or private details about you, it becomes far harder for them to use that information against you. An extreme example is the non-consensual sharing of intimate images of former partners — commonly known as revenge porn — or the publication of private information without permission, constituting a serious violation of the victim's privacy. Such acts can cause enormous emotional harm and, in many cases, amount to criminal offences. Protecting your privacy helps prevent cyberbullying, as it reduces the ammunition a harasser could exploit. In the case of minors, this precaution is even more critical: parents and educators must teach young people not to share information that could put them at risk, and to configure their profile privacy settings appropriately.

Misuse of data by companies or organisations: Not all dangers come from shadowy criminals; sometimes apparently legitimate companies also engage in abuse. A well-known case was the Facebook–Cambridge Analytica scandal. That consultancy harvested data from millions of Facebook users without their informed consent for political propaganda purposes. The result? A massive global outcry when it emerged that our social media activity could be manipulated to influence decisions as significant as elections. This real-world example illustrates how a lack of online privacy can have collective consequences, not merely individual ones. Our data in the wrong hands can be used to manipulate opinions, spread disinformation, or undermine democratic rights.

In short, the risks of failing to protect your privacy online range from receiving more spam or unwanted advertising, to becoming the target of financial fraud, harassment, or reputational damage. Even your physical safety could be at risk: consider a burglar who, through social media, finds out you are on holiday because you posted about it, and takes the opportunity to break into your home. Every piece of data you expose without control is another fragment of the picture someone can build about you. That is why protecting your privacy means protecting your security and wellbeing in the broadest sense.

Would you sell a scan of your iris for cryptocurrency?

Privacy on social media

Social media platforms deserve special attention when discussing online privacy, as they are among the environments where we voluntarily share the most personal information. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X) and TikTok encourage us to post photos, status updates, opinions and details of our daily lives. This kind of communication can be hugely beneficial for socialising, but if privacy settings are not properly managed, we may end up exposing our entire lives to thousands of unknown individuals — and organisations.

What does it actually mean to protect your privacy on social media? Above all, it means controlling who sees what. Many platforms offer settings that allow you to make your profile private or restrict certain posts to trusted contacts only. Yet through lack of awareness or simple oversight, many people never adjust these options. In fact, it is estimated that only 38% of internet users in Spain have ever adjusted their browser settings to limit cookies — a telling indicator of privacy awareness — and a similar proportion take proper steps to configure privacy settings on their social profiles. This means the majority may be sharing far more than they realise.

On social media, caution is your greatest ally. For instance, do you really need to share your exact location publicly? Probably not. Posting in real time where you are or where you're headed makes it easy for someone with bad intentions to track you down. Similarly, it is inadvisable to share details such as your phone number or home address in comments or posts visible to everyone. Even photos can reveal sensitive information (embedded GPS coordinates, your school's name on a uniform, your car's number plate, and so on).

Another good practice is to keep your friends or followers list limited to people you actually know. Accepting requests from strangers can mean granting unknown individuals access to your profile. You should also think twice before sharing sensitive information or compromising photographs via private messaging: once sent, you lose control over that content, which could be forwarded or published by others.

In short, apply this guiding principle to social media: never post anything you would not be comfortable putting up on a sign outside your front door. The digital footprint you leave on these platforms can persist for years and be seen by employers, institutions, or anyone at all. Protecting your privacy on social media does not mean living offline — it means being selective and mindful about what you share and with whom.

How to protect your privacy online

Having read about the risks, you may be wondering: what can I actually do to protect myself online? The good news is that there are many practical steps within anyone's reach to significantly improve your online privacy. Below, we outline some practical tips and healthy habits to adopt:

Use strong, unique passwords: A robust password is your first line of defence. Create long passphrases that combine uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Avoid obvious words or dates. Crucially, do not reuse the same password across multiple accounts. If a data breach exposes your password from one insecure site and you use the same one for your email or bank account, you are effectively handing over the keys to everything. Consider using a password manager to generate and store a different password for each service.
Enable two-factor authentication (2FA): Many services offer two-factor authentication — an additional verification step (an SMS code, an authenticator app, etc.) on top of your password. Enable it wherever possible. Even if someone discovers your password, they will still need that second code — which only you receive — to gain access. This extra layer of security has stopped countless intrusion attempts.
Keep your devices and software up to date: Software updates often include critical security patches. Make sure your computer or smartphone operating system, your web browser, and any applications you use are kept current. Older versions may contain known vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit. A protected device means safer data.
Be cautious with suspicious emails and messages: A large proportion of data theft occurs because users unknowingly hand over their own information. How? Through phishing: emails or messages that impersonate your bank, a social network, or a contact, asking you to confirm details or click a link. Be sceptical of any unsolicited communication requesting personal data or passwords. Do not click on suspicious links or download files from unknown senders. If in doubt, contact the supposed sender directly through their official channels.
Configure your privacy settings and browse carefully: Take a few minutes to review the privacy or settings section of each social network, service, or application you use. Adjust the parameters to share only what is necessary. For example, on Facebook you can make your profile visible to friends only; on Instagram you can set your account to private; on WhatsApp you can hide your profile photo and last-seen status from strangers, and so on. In your browser, consider clearing cookies regularly or using extensions that block trackers and intrusive adverts. You can also use your browser's incognito mode for certain sensitive searches — though bear in mind it does not make you invisible; it simply prevents browsing history and cookies from being stored locally.
Limit what you share on social media: As discussed above, be selective about the information you post. Do not publish personal details (address, phone number, identity documents) or excessive information about your daily routine. Avoid sharing intimate or highly private images online; once you lose control of them, they can end up anywhere. And remember that the internet has a long memory: even if you delete something afterwards, someone may already have seen or saved it.
Use additional privacy tools: If you are concerned about your activity being tracked, consider using privacy-focused browsers (such as Brave or Firefox with privacy add-ons) that block trackers and third-party cookies. A trusted VPN can also help conceal your IP address and encrypt your connection — particularly useful when connecting to public Wi-Fi (in cafés, airports, and similar places), reducing the risk of your data being intercepted. That said, choose reputable VPN services to avoid handing your data to the wrong hands.
Delete or deactivate accounts you no longer use: It is common to sign up for countless websites or apps and then forget about them. Every dormant account is a potential attack vector if that platform suffers a data breach. Review which services you no longer use and close them, deleting your information wherever possible. Fewer active accounts means less exposure.
Stay informed and keep up to date: Online threats are constantly evolving. Today the focus is on phishing and malware; tomorrow it may be entirely new forms of attack. Without becoming obsessive about it, it is worth keeping an eye on basic cybersecurity news — whether a major data breach has affected a service you use, or a new scam is circulating on WhatsApp, for example. Understanding the risks is the first step towards staying ahead of them. Organisations such as INCIBE in Spain (the National Cybersecurity Institute) regularly publish tips and alerts for the general public.

Ultimately, protecting your privacy online requires a combination of common sense, caution, and awareness. No single measure provides absolute security, but applying multiple layers of protection dramatically reduces the likelihood of problems arising. The small amount of extra effort is well worth it: even if configuring settings or enabling security features takes a few extra minutes, you will be safeguarding something as valuable as your personal data.

To illustrate this point, despite widespread concern about privacy, many users still fail to adopt even basic precautions. In Spain, for example, only 38% of internet users restrict cookies in their browser, and just 17% use anti-tracking software. This suggests there is considerable room for improvement in our digital habits. With a few small changes, anyone can browse in a more private and secure way.

User rights: privacy and data protection

Online privacy is not merely a matter of good practice — it is underpinned by laws that protect our personal data. Across the European Union (and therefore in Spain), the primary framework is the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), complemented at national level by the Spanish Data Protection and Digital Rights Act (LOPDGDD). These rules give users a range of rights over their personal data, ensuring we have meaningful control over how our information is used.

What rights do I have over my personal data? In short, the law allows any individual to exercise the following rights against whoever processes their data: access, rectification, objection, erasure (also known as the right to be forgotten), restriction of processing, portability, and the right not to be subject to solely automated individual decisions. Here is a brief explanation of each:

Right of access: You can ask any company or organisation to confirm whether it holds data about you and to provide you with a copy of all the information it keeps on you in its systems.
Right to rectification: If any of your data is inaccurate or out of date (for example, your address, surname, or email address), you can request that it be corrected.
Right to object: This allows you to object to your data being processed for certain purposes. For instance, you can object to receiving marketing communications or to your data being used for statistical purposes, in which case the organisation must stop processing your data for those ends.
Right to erasure (right to be forgotten): You can request the deletion of your data when it is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, or when you withdraw your consent. A common example is asking a search engine such as Google to de-index results containing personal information about you that you consider harmful or no longer relevant.
Right to restriction of processing: In certain circumstances, you can request that your data be "frozen" — meaning it is retained but not actively used (for example, while you are resolving a dispute about its accuracy).

Right to data portability: This allows you to obtain your data in a structured, electronic format so you can transfer it to another provider — for example, switching social networks and taking your photos and contacts with you in a file.

Right not to be subject to automated decision-making: This ensures that no decision with a legal or significant impact on you is made solely on the basis of automated processes (without human involvement) — such as an algorithm rejecting your credit application without anyone reviewing your case. You have the right to an explanation and to have a person involved in such processes.

In addition to these rights, there is the right to information, which requires companies to inform you clearly — usually through a privacy policy — about what data they collect, for what purpose, for how long, whether it will be shared with third parties, who the data controller is, and so on. You have probably come across lengthy privacy policies on websites: tedious as they may be, they exist because the law requires that transparency towards users.

Exercising these rights is, in general, free of charge and straightforward. It usually suffices to send a request (for example, an email) to the data controller of your data, stating which right you wish to exercise and verifying your identity. The controller is obliged to respond within a maximum period (normally one month). If your request is ignored or rejected without valid reason, you can lodge a complaint with the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD), which is the public authority responsible for overseeing compliance with these rules. The Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) offers online submission channels for complaints, making it easy for any user to defend their rights quickly.

Knowing your rights matters because it puts you in a stronger position vis-à-vis the companies or organisations handling your information. If you feel that a social network, bank, online shop, or public body is misusing your personal data, you are not without recourse: you can demand explanations, request corrections or deletions, and even turn to the supervisory authority if necessary. In recent years, an increasing number of people in Spain have been exercising these rights — a welcome sign that awareness of data protection is growing.

What is the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and how does it affect me?

Legal Compliance and Professional Data Protection Support with Conesa Legal

Up to this point, we have approached this topic from the user's perspective — but companies and organisations bear significant responsibility when it comes to privacy. Any company that collects or processes personal data belonging to clients or users must comply with data protection legislation (GDPR, Spanish Data Protection and Digital Rights Act (LOPDGDD)). This entails, among other things, providing users with adequate information, obtaining consent where required, ensuring the confidentiality of collected data, and implementing appropriate security measures to protect it. Failure to meet these obligations can result in severe penalties, as well as eroding client trust.

A key element of compliance is having well-drafted privacy and data protection policies in place. For instance, websites must include a Privacy Policy setting out everything users need to know about how their data is processed, as well as a Cookie Policy if tracking technologies are used. Internally, companies must also maintain records of data processing activities, enter into confidentiality agreements with employees and suppliers, and be prepared to manage incidents — including notifying the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD) of any security breaches within the required timeframe.

For many small and medium-sized businesses and independent professionals, navigating this complex legal framework can be a real challenge. This is where specialist guidance proves invaluable. Conesa Legal, a law firm based in Barcelona, offers a professional service covering the review and drafting of data protection policies, tailored to each client's specific needs. In practice, this means an expert team examines how your company handles personal data, identifies any areas of non-compliance or risk, and designs the policies and protocols required to achieve full compliance with current legislation.

Conesa Legal's services range from data protection protocol reviews (assessing your organisation's level of GDPR/Spanish Data Protection and Digital Rights Act (LOPDGDD) compliance) through to the preparation of legal documents and clauses: bespoke privacy policies, legal notices for your website, data processing agreements, client consent forms, template documents for users to exercise their ARCO rights (access, rectification, erasure and other rights under data protection law), and more. The team also advises on the implementation of technical and organisational security measures and provides staff training on best practices. In short, they ensure your company handles personal data responsibly, securely and transparently — helping you avoid sanctions and building greater trust with your users.

Choosing professional support in this area brings clear advantages. On one hand, it saves you time and worry, by delegating to specialists the task of keeping up with legislation and preparing all the necessary legal documentation. On the other, it ensures that no important detail in your business's data protection is overlooked. Conesa Legal, for example, has an in-depth knowledge of Spanish and European regulations, and offers a personalised approach to tailor legal solutions to each specific case. If you value your clients' privacy as much as they do, investing in a data protection review and well-drafted policies is a strategic step that reflects a genuine commitment to ethics and legal compliance.

DATA PROTECTION: REGULATORY COMPLIANCE SERVICES FOR COMPANIES IN SPAIN

And what do individual users gain from all this? A safer digital environment. When companies comply with the law, your data is better protected. That is why it is reassuring to know that services like Conesa Legal are helping businesses get things right. Ultimately, online privacy is a collective effort: institutions set the rules, companies implement them, and we, as users, exercise our rights and take sensible precautions.

Documents that a company processing personal data must have in place

Checklist for companies:

Required document	Do you have it?
Privacy Policy	☐ Yes / ☐ No
Legal Notice and Cookie Policy	☐ Yes / ☐ No
Record of Processing Activities	☐ Yes / ☐ No
Data processing agreements with processors	☐ Yes / ☐ No
Security policy document	☐ Yes / ☐ No
Data subject rights request forms	☐ Yes / ☐ No
Data breach response plan	☐ Yes / ☐ No

Does your company tick all these boxes? If you're not sure, Conesa Legal can help.

Complying with GDPR: Much more than posting a privacy policy on your website

Conclusion

Online privacy is a broad topic that spans technical considerations as well as legal and ethical principles. At its core, it is about each individual's ability to control their personal information online. In a hyperconnected world where every click can generate a data point, protecting our privacy means protecting ourselves.

Maintaining privacy does not mean going off the grid or giving up the benefits of digital life. It is, rather, about navigating the online world mindfully and safely — understanding the value of our data and asserting our right to be treated with respect. Online privacy matters because it safeguards our identity, our financial security, our reputation, and even our freedom of thought.

Achieving a more private and secure internet requires everyone to play their part: informed and cautious users, responsible and transparent companies, and a robust legal framework that is properly enforced. Fortunately, we have the tools, the knowledge, and the professional support to make this possible. Ultimately, privacy is about having the power to choose what we share of our digital lives — and that power of choice is essential if the internet is to remain a space of opportunity rather than a realm without boundaries.

Your online privacy is in your hands. Protect it!