The internet is one of the most significant advancements in today’s civilization, over 5 billion people across the globe have access to the world wide web. While it may seem like an obvious privilege, things were not the same back in the day, it is only recently that internet adoption rates have spiked. The advent of portable devices such as laptops and smartphones has made it seamless for anyone to use the internet.

That said, the internet traces its roots to the 1960s when the U.S Department of Defense introduced packet switching. During this period, only small pieces of data could be transferred from one user to another. Well, that is no longer the case; the internet is now a fundamental pillar in modern-day communication and information sharing between individuals, governments and corporations.

But how safe is the internet in its current state? There have been several criticisms in the recent past, with stakeholders raising alarm on data integrity issues. As it stands, most of the data collected through the internet is stored in servers run by big tech firms such as Google, Alibaba and Microsoft. Unfortunately, these companies have their own financial and political interests, which sometimes collide with the data protection mandate.

According to a 2020 transparency report by Google, governments made over 110,000 requests for corporations handling big data to disclose users’ information. Surprisingly, 76% of these requests were accepted, leaving the affected users exposed to scrutiny without any consent. Is it really a free world if authorities can sensor the internet through