Privacy

I was shocked to learn the extent to which my privacy has been compromised in an online world. I always knew I had a lack of privacy, and I understood that most things I did on my phone were tracked and stored. However, I did not know just how little privacy I actually had. I always assumed things I looked up were stored in a database, and I had come to terms with that. I did not realize that every action I take on my phone could be recorded, allowing people to know everything down to the exact moment I wake up in the morning.

These issues affect me, my family, and my friends when that data falls into the wrong hands. For example, I am not worried about the government knowing what I do on my phone because they likely won't act unless I am involved in something illegal. What impacts me and those close to me along with everyone else is the data being recorded, used, or sold by private companies. That information should remain private, not be treated as a commodity.

The video about wiretapping was particularly interesting. I had never considered that the technological advancements we praise are the same ones causing us to lose our privacy. As a kid, I thought it was cool that the government could hack into enemies' phones to thwart attacks. It wasn't until I listened to the TED Talk that I realized that to identify terrorists, they often have to bug everyone’s phones or keep tabs on everyone’s messages. This in itself is a concern, but the real issue arises when a third party manages to hack that system and gains access to everyone's data.

To protect ourselves from invasions of privacy, we can move essential and private conversations offline. We should rely less on calling and texting for sharing sensitive information (even if some sources claim it is safe) and instead use those tools to set up in-person meetings. Most importantly, we must choose not to share anything online that could be misused to cause harm. I often find myself being too trusting of technology, whether I'm sharing an email password or saving credit card information on my phone. These videos showed me that my trust is misplaced; technology is no longer a guaranteed safe place for anything private.