Dr. Muhammad Mahtab Hossain Mazed

Data Privacy Day or Information Protection Day 2025 is going to be celebrated globally on Tuesday, January 28. Every year on this day, various campaigns are run in the world to create awareness about the need for personal information protection, in the 5th, the Council of Europe, the largest organization in Europe, started the first data Privacy Day or Information Day Protection Day in the world. Convention 108 is the first international treaty on privacy and data protection with a legal obligation to uphold it. The day is celebrated annually in the United States on January 28 under the leadership of the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA). Information Protection Day, which began in Europe, began in North America from the 21st.

This day basically gives business and private consumers the opportunity to share the best techniques to protect personal information. 'Data Privacy Day' or Information Protection Day is part of a greater campaign worldwide, where awareness about privacy requirements is created. All the simplest methods of protecting personal information are highlighted. Besides, organizations are reminded that privacy is important in all activities. The Cybercrime Awareness Foundation has joined this growing global campaign to create awareness in the home and workplace of non-profit organizations, educational institutions, corporations, government institutions, municipalities and individuals. All 'Data Privacy Day Champion' spreads compatible messages about privacy and personal information protection through cooperation and coordination. In the meantime, organizations work to achieve the general goals of developing personal and business awareness in establishing information protection and confidence. And we are creating a constant stream of information in our daily lives. Sadly, it is true, contemporary studies and reports show, that we are increasingly losing control over our own information. Information is the most valuable resource in today's world. The more information one has about others, the more resourceful one is. So even after free service, companies like Facebook, Google, Twitter are becoming a huge giant establishment day by day. These companies are selling the money to our information advertising companies. The first is 'K' - Name, phone number, race, gender, age, height, weight, etc. The second is 'key' - the level of education, political belief, profession, marital status, social and political activities, etc. The third type is 'where' - the place of the shoping, the workplace, the place of prayer, etc., a single walkBy tying these three types of information together, it is possible to easily identify a person.

This is why it is called Personal Identifiable Information (PII). According to estimates by the American management consulting firm McKinsey, the value of personal location information alone will be more than eight lakh crore rupees in the next few years. According to the renowned antivirus company McAfi, 12 percent of Android app tracks user's online activities and collects about 5 percent app location information. The data of more than 5 million types of customers in the world has been deposited in more than 20,000 server and is constantly increasing. These agencies compile information from sources of property, marriage licenses and court cases. They can also collect a person's medical records, internet browsing history, social media connections and online shopping information. We think it's safe. But any information is open on the internet.

The person you are giving information, either selling it to others, or hackers are stealing and using it for your own needs or selling them to others. Hackers can hack not only individuals or organized groups, but also state, domestic intelligence agencies or their agentsMost companies, whom you believe in the information, do not delete your old information. Even after you delete your profile, Facebook leaves it on its server for a long time. And it is said that Google never deleted any information. Such companies have been accused of violating the privacy and protection of user information in the United States and Europe, many cases of immoral use of user information, being constantly being digitalized and more connected day by day. It is not possible to avoid it in any way. So what do we do to protect the privacy of our personal information? The simple answer is that we need to be aware. We need to know what information we are creating online and how that information is collected, shared and used. It is not right to give your information if you want an application or company. Considering the benefits you can get, decide whether to share your information. Many applications ask permission to access user's geolocation, contact list and photo album before using their services. According to BTRC data, The number of mobile phone and internet users in the country has decreased for four consecutive months. During this time, the number of mobile phone subscribers has decreased by more than 61 lakh. At the same time, the number of Internet users has decreased by about 1 lakh.

The Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (BTRC) gave the latest calculations with cell phones and Internet subscribers last Sunday (December 7). There have been calculated till October. Analyzing the data, it was found that in June this year, the highest subscriber of the cellphone was more than 10 million. Then the number of subscribers decreases. In October, the cellphone subscribers were more than 10 million.

Not only the number of cellphone subscribers, the number of Internet users at this time has also significantly decreased. The latest BTRC calculation says that in June there were more than 10 million Internet subscribers in the country. Since then the customer has been reduced to four months. In October, the Internet subscribers in the country were more than 10 million. It should be noted that once someone uses the Internet on that day, BTRC is considered a customerBTRC data says that the number of cellphone Internet users has also decreased among Internet customers in these four months. In June, a maximum of 12 crore 5 million cellphone internet was internet subscribers. In October, the number came up in more than 12.5 million. However, the number of users of the broadband Internet has increased at this time.

Cellphone operators and people who are in the last budget say that supplementary tariffs on cell phones and internet services have been increased. It has an impact on cell phones and internet services. Besides, the political and economic situation of the country has also influenced it.

Until January 1, 2021, there were 1.5 billion Internet users, which is equal to 5% of the world's populationAs of December 31, 2023, there were 1.13 billion websites, of which 82% were inactive. Global retail ecommerce sales will reach $6.4 trillion in 2023And to deliver services to people's doorsteps, more than 16,000 entrepreneurs are currently working in about 8,800 digital centers across the country, where 50 percent are women entrepreneurs.

As a result, on the one hand, the inequality between men and women, on the other hand, the inequality between the rich and the poor and the inequality between rural and urban areas is being eliminated. The government will invest Tk 5 crore in the next five years to facilitate the development of startup cultures in the country and to exploit the innovative opportunities of startups. Startup ecosystem has developed in the tenure of talented young entrepreneurs, including interest and security equity investment and training, incubation, mentoring and coaching. Bikash, send, Chaldal, Shore Cash, Simple, Pepperfly are actively working with 2,000 startups. Who created about 1 lakh jobs. Our young people were not familiar with this culture 5 years ago. In just seven years, $ 1 million has been investing in this sector.

Currently the banking service has reached the hands of every customer. Many employment is being created through digitization. The money from freelancing is accelerating our national growth. Modern digital banking system has developed in the country through the use of information technology. All this is the benefit of digital Bangladesh.

Equal participation of men and women, ensuring access to technology for all irrespective of rich and poor, reducing the gap in access to urban and rural services were all the main objectives and goals of our Digital Bangladesh. Inclusive development in Digital Bangladesh has made it possible to reach remote villages with internet, through implementation of initiatives like Union Digital Centre, employment of women entrepreneurs has also been ensured. For inclusive development and the welfare of technology, anyone sitting in the village is now able to work in freelancing.

And today we spend most of our lives in our lives on the Internet and devices connected with us. Very few people still know that numerous personal information is being collected and shared from our used devices and online services. This information may be indefinitely consumed and our personal information may be useful to benefit, and it may also be used unwittingly. It has even been found that sharing unfavorable information online has been used to interfere with your socioeconomic status. Like sharing your favorite restaurants or items you've purchased online. And in the absence of strong laws, many domestic companies, including their users and buyers, are getting the opportunity to monitor personal behavior of their users and consumers, and consumers are selling these information for profit. Consumers need to understand the true value of their information and how this information is being collected, used and shared. Besides, they need to know how to manage their personal information well.

> Awareness needed to prevent and prevent data theft :-

Whether you are using the Internet for personal or professional, you need to be aware of online risks. If you are not aware, you will have to face various risks of online media. 'Theft' is one of the few potential danger to Internet users. Your information can be stolen from the Internet in various ways. As:

1. Personal information shared on the unprotected website or many of the Wi-Fi is likely to be stolen.

2. If your mobile, laptop or computer is stolen, personal information, bank account information, etc. can also be stolen from these devices.

3. Cheating can reach bank and credit card statement, pre-approved credit card offer, tax-paying information and other personal information through email hacking.

1. Fraudsters can also gain access to sensitive information by purchasing personal information from various third party sources (sources).

5. You can also steal the information provided on the Internet through people who have access to various important information, who have access to various important information.

1. If a victim of a hacking, his device may have information and theft of the family or other employment employees.

1. Third -party app users are likely to be stolen or lost.

1. Can steal information through phishing. That is, you took you to a site or link through which you could steal your email, password, etc. and then steal more valuable information.

1. If various information shared through social media is kept public, these information can be easily stolen by fraudsters.

10. Creating accounts and providing personal information on unnecessary and fake websites can lead to information theft.

11. The security system on many websites or apps is not as powerful, but those unsafe websites will be at risk of your information.

Remember, cyber criminals can use your information in various illegal activities. Even using personal information can steal money, open a credit card or bank account in your name or create a fake identity card. As a result, you can also be responsible for various crimes, including financial or social harm. Therefore, it is extremely important to be careful in providing and storing personal information while using the Internet. Apart from being careful yourself, also inform your child about the relevant issues and make them aware to behave cautiously in the digital world

> Act
Article 43 (b) of the Constitution of Bangladesh recognizes privacy rights or the protection and confidentiality of individual information as fundamental human rights. Privacy is defined as a right in the International Declaration of Human Rights (Article 12), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Article 17), the United Nations Convention on Migrant Workers (Article 14) and the Charter on the Rights of the Child (Article 16). However, no law in Bangladesh has no clear direction on the protection of citizens' information. Now is the time to enact the Information Protection Act.

Ensuring that individuals have maximum control over the collection, storage, processing, dissemination and use of personal information by public and private institutions. That is why it is important to have specific laws on data protection and data retention.

Before collecting and processing data, there must be a mechanism to identify why the data is being collected and for what purpose. Personal information must normally be collected with the individual's consent, except in special circumstances. It is very important to have a transparent and accountable government system to ensure that public and private organizations that store their customers'/consumers' personal information adhere to the privacy policy.

> What is the difference between privacy and security?
Security refers to the ways in which we protect ourselves, our property and personal information. It is the first line of defense against uninvited intruders. And privacy refers to our ability to control access to personal information.

Finally, the public-private organization must ensure that the person's maximum control power is maintained in collecting, preserving, processing, promoting and applying the individual information. And like many countries in Bangladesh, it is important to have legal system to prevent extreme moral crimes like violation of personal privacy of people. There should be strong laws so that no one can violate the rights of another citizen at will. Law acts on behalf of the individual to protect his rights. Along with this, public awareness is also needed to comply with the law. This crime cannot be stopped by law alone. Egregious moral crimes like violation of personal privacy can be controlled if people are aware of moral values.

The writer is a, Columnist and researcher Founder Chairman, Jatiya Rogi Kallyan Society.