Final answer:
Protecting personal data involves understanding privacy rights, meticulously reviewing privacy policies, and controlling personal information shared. Security and control regulations like COPPA in the U.S. and data privacy laws in Europe offer legal safeguards, but individual vigilance is essential.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding New Safeguards of Privacy
Individuals can protect their data through a variety of methods endorsed by governmental and non-governmental organizations. Becoming familiar with privacy rights, reading privacy policies carefully before acceptance, and prudent sharing of personal information are critical. Over time, public perception of online risks evolves, influenced by our interactions with technologies and the entities that control them.
Businesses and governments have a stake in securing operations and sensitive information, respectively. To address the natural tension between individual privacy and government regulation, and to combat issues such as identity theft stemming from data breaches, various laws regulate how companies handle personal data. The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act and European data privacy laws offer examples of such regulations aiming to enhance data security and control.
Ultimately, an individual's approach towards privacy safeguards may differ, ranging from nonchalant agreement to stringent review of privacy notices. Regardless, it is imperative that individuals exercise their rights to privacy with due diligence and awareness of the ethical handling and security measures applied to their information by others.