Privacy and Personal Data Protection: A Comparative Study of Digital Literacy Among Undergraduate Students in Dhaka

Abstract

Because of the incorporation of digital media in our everyday lives, questions related to privacy and safety arise with regard to the digital media literacy and usage habits of young students in Bangladesh, where undergraduate students are seen as highly engaged individuals using the Internet. Internet usage continues to rise and escalate, but the corresponding level of privacy and digital literacy may not be at the same level. The present study attempts to explore and understand the level and manner in which undergrads in Dhaka perceive and deal with digital privacy in their daily lives and activities. The study is based on the Digital Literacy Framework (Ng, 2012; Eshet-Alkalai, 2004), and a mixed research methodology is employed to understand the subject more clearly and comprehensively. A survey study involving 40 students and an in-depth interview study involving eight students were conducted to understand the level and manner in which undergrads in Dhaka perceive and deal with digital privacy in their daily lives and activities. The results indicate a wide gap between the manner in which undergrads deal with internet usage and the manner in which they deal with internet privacy and digital literacy. The study concludes with a few practical suggestions and recommendations.

Social Science Review [The Dhaka University Studies, Part-D], Vol.43, No.1, June 2026, pp. 207-226.