Mysuru: Advising law students to be cautious while downloading free products or services online, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairman Justice V Ramasubramanian on Saturday said privacy protection does not begin with the law or the state alone, but with individual responsibility. “If one does not care about their own data, no legal system can fully protect them,” he said while delivering a lecture on “Privacy, Technology, and Surveillance: The Future of Human Rights in the Digital Age” at JSS Law College.Justice Ramasubramanian noted that “piracy” and “privacy” sound similar, adding that the connection is not accidental. “If we are not bothered about committing piracy, others may not be bothered about infringing our privacy. That is the first moral lesson in the digital world,” he remarked.He said that people increasingly prefer free articles, music, downloads, and services over paid versions. Recalling a conversation with an information technologist, he said, “If somebody is giving a product or service free of cost, then the real product is you.” The moment users click a free download, cookies get activated, permissions are granted, and personal data begins to move without their full awareness, he explained.Calling this the “first level of privacy infringement,” Justice Ramasubramanian said people later complain that companies are stealing data or that the govt is watching them, while many risks begin with the user’s own carelessness.Citing cybercrime cases, he said stolen data, hacked devices, and leaked images often lead to blackmail, humiliation, and financial loss. He added that people wrongly assume that free apps come with no cost. “Downloading a free app is like leaving your door open for thieves,” he cautioned, explaining that cybercriminals can easily steal personal data through such apps.JSS Law College Principal N Vanishree was present.
