Internet Surveillance

                      

What is privacy?

Privacy is the state or condition of being free from being observed or disturbed by others. As technology advances, many have begun to ask: Are people's privacy rights beginning to vanish?

New technological advancements have served as a catalyst for new technology within every area of our lives. These technologies can include automatic license plate readers, face recognition systems, and even pictures of you taken by other people. While these systems may seem like an excellent addition to the security and safety of people, these technologies are being used on everyday people who have no intention of breaking the law or acting in destructive ways violating their privacy. Leaving many people wondering how much privacy we do we really have due to these technologies.

With the government being heavily involved with many social media platforms, they must be transparent and honest with the members of society about what they are doing with this information and why they are using it or have established specific guidelines and policies.

Many technology companies like Facebook act as big brothers to the government, which allows the government to access personal information without informing you or asking for permission. This is partly because when agreeing to use social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., a person enters into a contract of adhesion. A contract of adhesion is when two parties enter an agreement with disproportionate bargaining power allowing one party to gain more than the other. Essentially in these contracts, if adhesions users sign when agreeing to use these platforms, they are giving up their rights to whatever they post on that platform and allowing their information to be accessed. 

It is scary to think about how much personal information the government can access using these platforms intended to keep people connected. Unfortunately, these issues affect more people today than ever as we have become a society that heavily depends on technology, the internet, and social media. However, despite being dependent on these platforms, there are ways we can stay safe and protect our personal information.

Ways to Stay Safe 

As we raise our awareness of privacy and how we are affected, we must know what systems are acting to keep tabs on us and what we can do to protect ourselves in this digital age.

1. Be Mindful of What You Post 

In today's age, it is essential to be mindful of what you post because even when you delete something, it never disappears. In addition, what you post affects how others see and perceive you, and you do not want a future job employer to have the wrong first impression. In addition, protecting your personal information and brand is important because we are not sure what the government is doing with the information we post or our personal information. Hence, it is important to post with discretion.

2. Use Apple Products 

In a Ted Talk by Christopher Soghoigan, he talks about the different platforms that can be used to encrypt text messages and phone calls. Apple automatically encrypts all messages and phone calls between apple users, making it hard for third parties to wiretap and interfere with your personal phone calls and messages. Additionally, Soghigan introduced the platform WhatsApp, which keeps users' text messages and phone calls encrypted and prevents third-party interference. This being said, it can be a good idea to use Apple devices or download a third-party app to ensure all your personal information and communication is protected and private.

3. Download a Virtual Private Network (VPN)

A Virtual Private Network is a service that protects your internet connection and privacy online. Downloading a VPN allows everything you do within the VPN connection to be encrypted and protected from being wiretapped. This will give users peace of mind and allow them to stay safe while using the internet without worrying about anyone accessing their personal information or being tracked.

We must take the steps necessary to protect ourselves and our loved ones from the dangers of the internet and keep the protection of our personal information. I hope these tips were helpful and that you will apply them to your technology use.