Privacy

 There is a price to pay for privacy nowadays in this digital age we live in. We are constantly leaving behind a digital footprint in everything we do on the internet, whether we acknowledge it or not. The videos on privacy give examples of how exposed we actually are. Ranging from the idea of “electronic tattoos”, which I’ll explain later, to automated license plate scanners, cell tower dumps, or StingRay devices that keep our privacy at constant risk.

    These are problems that feel personal, my friends and I are constantly sharing information from our lives on social media without even questioning who’s watching. Let alone how long that information will be sitting there on the internet, collecting dust until it pops back up at a job interview. Darieth Chisholms How Revenge Porn Turns Lives Upside Down especially hits home. For example, in high school, one of the biggest scandals was “sexting” and those photos being posted/spread all over the school. Which, is not only child pornograghy, but the idea of people weaponizing those photos is terrifying and can happen to anyone who chooses to share things like that. As a kid, it’s not just embarrassing for the people involved, it’s emotionally and legally traumatic. Most of the time with these situations, the victims are also responsible to clean up the mess years later, themselves. 

    The government has been needing to step in for a while and catch up to the adaptation of technology. Stronger laws protecting privacy against digital threats, policies on how much surveillance is allowed, accountability from companies behind the technology. It currently feels like humans are paying the price for privacy invasions they can’t prevent. Privacy invasions that can only be prevented by those same companies, or we can all decide to quit social media all together. 

    That being said, we should still be very careful about what we are posting online and stay educated on privacy laws. Most importantly, we have to voice our opinions whether we’re asking for better protection, supporting others in need, or educating people around us.