Blog Post #7

 

Online privacy is an interesting issue. I am 21 years old at the time of writing this blog, meaning, I was born into the digital age. My privacy online and how my data is monitored, does not enter my mind very often. However, I am fully aware of the dangers of the internet and the vulnerability of your data. 

Regarding internet safety, I had an interesting experience over winter break in December. I was home with my family, and one day I walked into our living room and my Dad told me that he had received a notice that I had some form of data compromisation, due to one of the websites I had browsed. I was shocked to hear this, and to this day, have no idea as to what caused this. A few days later, my Mom sent me and some family members an article discussing how to stay safe online. Unfortunately, after searching on my phone, I am unable to find it. However, this article is very similar in concept. 

Find it here: Internet Safety for Kids and Teens

The first Ted Talk, by Juan Enriquez.

I found it to be most relevant to me, as a young adult who is predominately online. Juan discussed internet privacy and brilliantly related it to the permanency of tattoos. " Electronic tattoos shout," he says. I agree. Having caution and being careful with what you post is very important for a multitude of reasons. In a professional sense, it's in your best interest to present yourself decently and ask yourself how you wish to be received online.  As years have gone on, my social media usage ( in terms of posting my own content ) has greatly decreased, so this has not been very prevalent in my life. 

Furthermore, I really enjoyed the Tdd Talk from Catherine Crump. 

She talked about the rise in how police departments have increased it's mass surveillance, by tapping into street cameras and scanning license plates. She posed the question to us, to think about how this rise in mass surveillance, has become a threat to our civil liberties. To me, it requires a fine line of reason. This is all hypothetical, but it is interesting to ponder. My opinion is, that society must reach an ideal conclusion where citizens can live safe lives, and not worry about the livelihood of their data. While at the same time, allowing the police to protect and serve the people, and find a way to use all tools at their disposal, to do their jobs efficiently.

As discussed in class, there are ways in which we can protect our data. such as a VPN, alternate search engines, as well as clearing out our G-Mail. Previously, I did not consider the implications of my internet presence or digital footprint. However, I am now wondering how to safely navigate online, and protect my data from threats. It is interesting to think about just how easy it is for large corporations to collect our data, even if we don't realize it. For example, we talked a bit in class about how Google has access to every single bit of data that we put out through our daily search engines. In terms of data protection, as I mentioned, I have never put too much thought into monitoring my digital footprint. I think about it in similar terms to my iPhone. I don't know the exact logistics of this, however, I have no doubt that Apple has been keeping tabs on all users of their products; iPhones, Apple watches, laptops, etc. 

Digital privacy and security is a complicated topic, and have never been more relevant. I am glad to have discussed this in class, and now I have a stronger understanding of digital privacy.