Privacy, Online & Off

The theme this week is privacy, which, honestly, feels like one of the biggest challenges of our time. We've already talked about how much information we willingly share online, but what hit me after watching these TED talks is how companies like Facebook (and plenty of others) take that data and run with it. And that’s just scratching the surface of how bad companies like these are.

Technology is amazing until it’s used against us. When you realize your privacy has been breached, it’s pretty terrifying and upsetting. Nowadays, people, corporations, and even the government can invade our privacy whenever they want, 24/7, every day of the year. 

There were also a lot of issues within the TED lecture videos. The videos helped me realize how open we are to both government and social media monitoring. Our location and phone conversations are tracked, and all of that data is kept on file in case it turns out to be "useful" in the future. To be honest, that poses a crazy risk since it indicates that our privacy is being violated in every way. It is crazy to think that anytime and anywhere someone is recording your every message, phone call, or even in-person conversation with someone else.

Juan Enriquez, one of the presenters, discussed "electronic tattoos," and I was particularly struck by this idea. Basically, whatever we do on the internet, be it Facebook, Twitter, or even an app like a credit score checker, leaves a permanent trace. And now those "tattoos" are permanently linked to our identities thanks to technologies like facial recognition. That's a serious privacy concern, but considering that this data might outlive us, it's also a bit unsettling. 

Catherine Crump brought up how the government is using mass surveillance to gather info on all of us, even tracking vehicles to get a sense of who they think we are and whether we're a threat. It's insane to think that the police hold onto all this data, just waiting for the day it becomes "useful." They even track our phones to know where we are when we’re not driving. This feels like a serious violation of civil liberties because innocent people are being monitored constantly, without their knowledge.

Then Christopher Soghoian pointed out something I hadn’t thought about before: not only do phone companies and networks have access to all our data, but governments, hackers, and even stalkers can get in on it, too. The worst thing is that we are powerless to restrict who has access to these networks. Also, there have even been cases of foreign governments breaking into Microsoft and Google accounts, which leads to numerous conflicts like fraud, stealing, and bribing.

These TED talks were, to put it bluntly, eye-opening. As a result, I realized how important it is to restrict the amount of information I reveal online. The idea that I'm being followed even when I'm not online is just unsettling. When I come forward and tell my loved ones about the scope of government surveillance, I will undoubtedly proceed with extra caution. There needs to be a limit to the government's power because there is for sure no checks and balances regarding this topic.