This is the total number of Internet users in the world on March 11, 2020 at 12:19:38 pm. The huge number of users shows strong presence of individuals on online platforms where more than half of the number of people in the world are using internet.
Activation on social media account is also very enormous which leaves such platforms with huge number of audience and consumers.
Facebook, a private American corporate, has more than 2 billion active users alone without mentioning the fact that it owns other large platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger. This concentration and consolidation of media makes it easy for the owners of these platforms to control the world market and gain huge profits. Making huge profits will allow these corporates to implement surveillance strategies and technologies on these platforms of users to enhance the advertisement process and thus making more profit. This circular motion process steals personal information which risks their privacy and put them under surveillance.
Countries could criminalize data collection from social media or online platforms to reduce surveillance on users and reduce the risks of such act. Individuals and activists should also raise awareness on this issue since some people are not aware of this surveillance practice. Thus, with more people being aware, the chances of abolishing surveillance or reducing it get higher.
Xiaoyue Zhang 