Faheem Hussain
ABSTRACT
Connectivity in social and economic spheres using mobile technology is a global phenomenon. This kind of communication is more significant for Southern Countries: a mean to develop, a way to come out of poverty, and a path towards an equitable society. This relationship between new communication technologies and society is complex, primarily due to their multidimensional effects in personal and social lives. Absence of a proper policy guideline and infrastructure to nurture the mobile communications' potentials can leave the users at risk of privacy violations in an increasingly flattened world. Youths of the developing societies, who have a very high representation in ICT usage hence face greater risks in terms of privacy violation and involuntary personal data commodification. This paper, as a part of a multi-year study, specifically looks into the vulnerability of Bangladeshi youth population using mobile devices, for voice and data communications. Bangladesh, one of the emerging economies in South Asia, has a thriving Telecom/ICT industry with an ever growing number of users, majority of them being young. Based on a nationwide representative survey, we have found the level of trust on existing mobile telephony to be significantly higher than the Internet across the country among all respondents, amid the absence of any clear privacy and security framework at the national level. This paper moreover shows that a significant number of the younger generation (both male and female) are unaware about the concept of privacy in the 'Digital Age' and also have little or no idea about possible risks involved with sharing any voice or data communication.
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Index Terms
Mobile communication for emerging Bangladesh: exploring the privacy risks for youth population
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