Although some people feel that they don't have to worry about their online privacy because "they have nothing to hide," it's important to understand that the information that is linked to you on the web can be harmful when accessed in the wrong way. Everything that we do is recorded in one way or another. One of the risks that A Gift of Fire by Sara Baase discussed was the threats that come along with new technologies. One of the major problems come with unknown access or personal information through downloading smartphone apps. By allowing certain functions (such as location or access to photos) on the app, you open up doors for more information to be acquired by these systems. This information can be tapped into by hackers, given to various companies or may be subjected to government access. Although some may not be phased by this, it's important to understand the possible effects this could have. The fact that many people trust public servers to keep their information private, it still may be given to other companies or hacked by criminals without your consent or knowledge for secondary use.
Another issue to consider is the fact that taking our personal information violates the fourth amendment. Imagine if people came into your home, went through your belongings, and compiled all of the information they could find about you without your knowledge. Our privacy is one of our inalienable rights, and I believe that that should hold true in both the physical and cyber worlds. Since most of our information is digitalized on our computers or phones, this means that a majority of our private information is not in our control. Personally, I keep my school ID number, my account numbers, and other personal information in my technology. The fact that these important pieces of data could be at risk, makes me reevaluate whether keeping track of my personal information in this way is okay. The risks that we take make online privacy even more crucial in this technological age.
Finally, if all of these potential outcomes don't concern you, think about your personal life. If you're a parent, think about your kids. Since social media has become such a huge part of everybody's lives, it's pretty safe to say that tracking people has become a piece of cake. If you think about location services, tools that parents use to locate their kids, or "checking in" to your favorite restaurants or businesses, you can find out your habits, interests, and can even open doors for stalking or break ins. An example of this happened in my hometown. One of my friends posted on Twitter that he was going on vacation for a week in the summer. While he was gone, the house was broken into and there was thousands of dollars of damage done to his property. It's easy to say that "that will never happen to me," but the risk is still present. For all of these reasons, I believe that online privacy is vital to the our safety and wellbeing.
Hi Maddy. You make some excellent points in your blog, I really enjoyed reading it. I especially agree with what you have to say about thinking of the implications of social media through the eyes of a parent. It is really scary to think about the world that our children are going to grow up in and how easy it will be to obtain information, track them etc. I think it is going to be critical to teach children internet safety incredibly early in order to prevent them from being hurt by the lack of privacy on the internet.
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