Blog Post #7: How "Privacy" Affects Us

 "Privacy."

(Guest).

I had always heard that the internet was never truly secure, but there must be some semblance of privacy. However, after watching the TED Talk videos, I quickly realized I needed to be corrected. As I continued to watch the videos, I slowly learned that nothing online has a complete aura of privacy. I think some of the most horrifying things I saw in the videos were the doll that connected to Bluetooth and other voices could speak through it, as well as the police technology that can easily track where we come and go from even when you do not have a prior criminal record. 

How "Privacy" Affects Us

Firstly, the concept of privacy presented to us in these videos does not make us safe. Take, for example, the usage of license plate scanners. As someone who drives a car pretty regularly and knows many other people who drive cars as their primary usage of transportation, it is pretty creepy to know that even though I have not done anything wrong, the government are keeping large quantities of data on innocent citizens. At first, I could have understood scanning license plates to keep everyone on the roads safe and ensure that the police were not letting someone drive by with a warrant out for their arrest. Still, when Catharine Crump began discussing how the police also had photographs, I found that over the top. 

 

Something else that alarmed me was the children's toy, Cayla. Growing up, I remember playing the app "Talking Angela." This game was released in 2012, and my parents were very weary of it. Users could "speak" to Angela when using the app, and she would respond. It was one of the beginning uses of AI technology. I only had the app a few days before my parents had me delete it because they feared something more sinister could be done with it, such as someone else hacking in and listening or speaking through it. As I watched the video on Cayla, I realized my parent's concerns were not that far off ten years ago.

 

Government Intervention

There should be more legislation and policing regarding our privacies as American citizens. But this is easier to say than do.

Darieth Chrisholm explains that it took so much hard work to bring charges to the man who uploaded her nudes on the web. The extent of the charges in forty states is merely a five-hundred fine and minimal jail time, if any. She had to jump through so many hoops, and eventually, the man was arrested, but not without strife. Changes need to be made regarding this issue. 

 

Another place where the government needs to step in is talking toys like Cayla, where it is effortless for internet hackers to get in via Bluetooth and speak through Cayla. Toys like these that can put a child in harm's way, unknowingly, need to be policed.

 

How Can We Protect Ourselves?

The best way to protect ourselves is to be mindful. In some situations, such as the police monitoring our comings and goings, we can't do much. Still, in aspects such as talking dolls like Cayla or sending sensitive information over emails, we can think twice before making purchases or writing sensitive information in an email. Another way that we can protect ourselves is to be mindful of our digital footprint because once something is online, it is very likely online forever. Finally, we should trust our technology less than we do. It is easy to get wrapped up in the new online fads and how easy it is to do so many things because of our technological advancements, but there is always an underlying problem, and we should keep an eye out for privacy discrepancies. It is impossible to shun technology nowadays, but it is also essential to factor in caution. 

Works Cited

Chisholm, Darieth. “How Revenge Porn Turns Lives Upside Down.” TED Talks, www.ted.com/talks/darieth_chisolm_how_revenge_porn_turns_lives_upside_down. 

Crump, Catherine. “The Small and Surprisingly Dangerous Detail the Police Track About You.” TED Talks, www.ted.com/talks catherine_crump_the_small_and_surprisingly_dangerous_detail_the_police_track_about_you.

Enriquez, Juan. “Your Online Life, Permanent as a Tattoo.” TED Talks, www.ted.com/talks/juan_enriquez_your_online_life_permanent_as_a_tattoo.

Guest. “Do We Have Privacy Rights Anymore?” Pixel Spot, 14 July 2020, www.pixelspot.net/2020/07/14/do-we-have-privacy-rights-anymore.

Myrstad, Finn Lützow-Holm. “How Tech Companies Deceive You Into Giving up Your Data and Privacy.” TED Talks, www.ted.com/talks/finn_lutzow_holm_myrstad_how_tech_companies_deceive_you_into_giving_up_your_data_and_privacy.

Soghoian, Christopher. “How to Avoid Surveillance ... With the Phone in Your Pocket.” TED Talks, www.ted.com/talks/christopher_soghoian_how_to_avoid_surveillance_with_the_phone_in_your_pocket.

“Talking Angela App Review.” Common Sense Media, 14 Oct. 2015, www.commonsensemedia.org/app-reviews/talking-angela.

Yen, Andy. “Think Your Email&Apos;S Private? Think Again.” TED Talks, www.ted.com/talks/andy_yen_think_your_email_s_private_think_again.