Privacy, Online & Off

 

Our generation has been raised on social media; we live and breathe it. What a lot of people don't know, or may be just ignorant to, is how much of ourselves we post online. Nowadays, it can take just a few clicks on your Instagram or Facebook page to find who your family members are, where you go to school, where you work, where you grew up, etc. Like Juan Enrique said in his TED talk, your online life is like a permanent tattoo. A tattoo can tell a lot about a person, just like your online profiles. By making your personal life very public, you are putting your family, friends, and anyone your associated with in the public eye as well, whether they want you to or not. 

The government and "surveillance systems" have more of our information stored than we realize. It is understood why the government should have access to some information, perhaps for legal/criminal purposes; however, there should be limitations on how deep into our personal files they can freely access. Personal information should only be reviewed when there is a clear need to; this means by anyone: the government, your cell provider, workplace, etc. 

Everyone should be more aware of the information they post online and who they give access. "Cookies" are very common on websites, in order to remember you and build a hidden user profile. This is how the computer "remembers" your passwords, how Amazon "remembers" your home address, and how stores "remember" items in your online shopping cart. We think of this as a convenience, but when you really think about it, it is an invasion of privacy. Awareness of information storing like cookies, for example, should be made known to more online users. Clearing your cookies is a great way to start!

“What Are Cookies? | Cookies Definition | Cloudflare.” Cloudfare, www.cloudflare.com/learning/privacy/what-are-cookies/. Accessed 15 June 2023.