Social Media and Privacy: The Cost of Our Freedom

In today's digital world, nothing is private. As individuals, sharing our lives on the internet for others to see has become like second nature to us. But how much do we really know about privacy, and if we were more aware of the dangers, would we be as open to the world?

We all know how powerful the internet is, but with power can come danger, and the digital world is a scary unknown territory for most. For the most part, the internet has done amazing wonders for communication, by allowing two people on opposite sides of the world to connect and stay in touch. 

The internet has also radically changed the way our education system operates. It allows individuals to educate themselves on a range of things like healthcare, politics, and even pop culture with just a simple search on the computer. Of course, however, the biggest influence to come out of the internet is the rise of content creators and influencers. Social media has taken over the world. Regular people now have access and the opportunity to grow as people, and they have the platform to voice their opinions. This leads to the realization that we are not alone in our thoughts and our beliefs, but it also takes us on a path of change. Change that would not happen if we didn't publicly advocate for certain things. 

With all of the good that the internet has done for us, and continues to do, we have to talk about the downside. Which is privacy, or the lack thereof. We would all like to believe that our information is safe and that our privacy is protected. But just because we pretend like the government doesn't know everything doesn't make it true. The government is watching, is listening in on our conversations, and is using that information to their advantage. 

Juan Enriquez connects what we post on the internet to tattoos. Tattoos are permanent, they are reminders and reflections of who we are as individuals. When a person makes the decision to get a tattoo, it's careful and thought out. 99% of the time it is not a rash choice. So Enriquez asks us to consider treating our digital footprint as a tattoo. He questions why we are not more careful with what we post and share online. I mean think about it, really think about it, because whether we want to live in denial or not, the internet and our digital profile are a direct reflection of who we are. It can and will come back to haunt us.

Think about all of the times that you have heard a story about a young boy in college who did something, meaningless and stupid at the time, who now has to pay the price for the rest of his life. One post, one simple post ruins his chances of having a good job and is now permanently etched into his identity, much like a tattoo. 

As modern technology advances so do the dangers connected to it. We are all aware on some level that the government is watching and listening in on our conversations. Just the other day I was on the phone with my mom, and I told her that I was going to my boyfriend's. As soon as I got into the car, Google Maps showed me the quickest way of getting there.  Now in a normal perfect world where the government wasn't spying on us, I would have freaked out. But unfortunately, it's a societal norm to be aware that the government is always watching us, using our information against us, and selling our information to marketers. 

Catherine Crump talks about the dangers of modern technology and what the government is doing with our information. So what is the government doing with our information? Most people assume that you have to voluntarily put information out there, in order for the government to be able to access it.

 But Crump shows us that simply driving can give the government access to our identities, it can reveal your deepest darkest secrets, secrets that were always meant to be kept behind closed doors. Technologies on location can tell us if you go to therapy, or an AA meeting. This tells us that voluntary or not, the government can piece together every bit of our lives. So what does this mean for us? On the outside, it may seem mundane, the majority of the population, if asked is not all that worried about the government knowing personal information about them. If it doesn't directly effect an individual in the form of identity theft or fraud, or if they feel as if their privacy hasn't been directly affected then indivudals are okay with living in denial. They are okay with knowing that the government's knowledge of them is very minimal. 

But what if we learned that the government was handing our our information to local police departments and big companies like Facebook, and what if we learned that based on the information that is given to them, they make certain decisions about who we are as people. If we knew the extent of what information the government is occupying, then we would fight back. We would demand real change. The government is supposed to protect us, they are not supposed to be watching us behind closed doors and giving that information to other people. It starts out that way, but soon instead of just selling our private information and using it against us, it will also be about what we write down, what we say, what we think. Soon the government, will control and punish us for simply having an opinion.

How do we protect ourselves, when it seems like there is no way of keeping anything remotely private? The first step is to admit, in it's entirely that the government knows everything. We can't advocate for real change or even protect ourselves if we are living in denial. Surveillance and government knowledge may never go away, it actually may increase as time advances. But we need to get better at protecting ourselves from hackers, stalkers, criminals etc. 

The best way to protect ourselves is to build better networks that are secure as possible. This means that there will be downsides in the future. Encryption will get harder to hack, and it will make it more difficult for the police to catch criminals. But it is better than living in a world where a simple phone call is monitored. Chistopher Soghoain excourages to use the resources that we already have on our phones. Most companies have encryptions in place with the default mode already turned on. So the best way to protect ourselves is by protecting ourselves. We need to start securing our phone calls and text messages.