I would say that privacy is the ability for individuals to carry out their life without other agents knowing about their personal information (a.k.a) data. Therefore when we are saying, “there is not much privacy in here,” it means that unwanted agents could listen in or see what you are doing. This essay relates more towards online privacy.
When did the concern for online privacy took off
Around 2013, Edward Snowden, ex-NSA employee, leaked documents to the world of the extent of citizen spying done by countries such as the US and UK.
Subsequently, the world became more aware of the extent of data collection that the government could carry out.
Large corporations such as Facebook and Google also came under scrutiny about what they are doing with the large amount of data.
What usually happens to the data collected
Companies use them to understand their customer base better and make targeted ads or product recommendations
They can be sold to 3rd party companies that might again sell the data to other companies
Government bodies similarly could use the data to make more informed decisions or policies
Why the concern
The biggest concern here is we don’t have a clear idea of the extent data collection that is occurring by either government bodies or companies
Data is power and its influence on society (Government)
Data is like a double-edged sword; if a government body can collect a lot of data, it also has wide-reaching surveillance capabilities.
Meaning it would be easier for government to catch “baddies” as they know where you are and what you do.
History has shown time and time again tyrannical regime thrives on widespread citizen surveillance to control the population And we are at a crossroads as a society where a government body could conduct mass surveillance where dictators like Joseph Stalin only could ever dream of.
Data is power and its influence on society (Corporations)
So we know that giant internet companies such as Facebook and Google are using our data for targeted ads.
The issue here is that it could also be used for political means, such as political advertising, as shown by the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal.
To quote it… “Supporters of Trump received triumphant visuals of him, as well as information regarding polling stations.[47] Swing voters were instead often shown images of Trump’s more notable supporters and negative graphics or ideas about his opponent, Hillary Clinton.[47] For example, the collected data was specifically used by”Make America Number 1 Super PAC” to attack Clinton through constructed advertisements that attempted to highlight the corruption of Clinton as a way of propping up Trump as a better candidate for the presidency.[23] ”
This does not stop on political ads; malicious ads, pop-ups, and disinformation also purposefully target more impressionable demographics such as seniors and children.
This is combined with the fact that these giant tech corporations have complete control of what we can see when using their platform.
To put it simply, big tech corporations, like it or not, have a significant role in politics and therefore, society due to their sheer size and reach over people’s data.
This is a recipe for disaster as we know their interest lies in profits instead of the well being of other people.
Why should we care?
Ultimately so what, though? We could carry on our lives as per usual.. but really?
Personally, I lean more towards personal independence and freedom.
I wouldn’t want to live in a society where mass surveillance and fear exist.
Also, I acknowledge that my actions and thoughts could be influenced by other factors, and therefore, I simply disagree with the fact that companies have such a wide-reaching influence.
Thus privacy, online privacy, I believe should be handled protected and handled more carefully.
How to reclaim some sense of privacy back
Unexpectedly this has become a rather lengthy essay. I would continue this essay sometime in the future, and the link would be down below. Simple steps to improve privacy!
