Privacy online has been a hot topic for the past few decades as technology becomes more accessible and commercial. Kids as young as 3 can have iPads or other brand tablets to play fun or educational games on, thus growing up to be accustomed to technology and seeing easy access to devices as the norm, not a luxury. This leads into a growing concern for what kind of information people put on these devices and the shared platforms such as social media or even email.
Concerns over hackers, stalkers, police, and multiple governments having access to our personal information rise as we discover the usage of license plate readers, facial recognition, and other penetrating technology. Tech companies have to build encryption features into our devices in order to prevent this from happening, but it is nowhere near impossible to hack devices and find banking information or private messages for blackmail.
There are two aspects to the information out there online about us: voluntary information and involuntary information. Voluntary information is what we post about on social media or put in our bios on our accounts. Involuntary information is someone being able to take a picture of another person and use face recognition to find out everything about that person’s life before even saying a word to them.
All this information is stored by those who find it since it is so affordable to do so. The government and security organizations keep information on innocent people, not just known criminals, just in case they may need to locate that person in the future. GPS systems in cars show our every move, location services on our Internet browsers show advertisers where we are and what to show in ads, and CCTV tracks every store that we walk in and out of. All of this can surprisingly be hindered by purchasing the right products. Microsoft and Apple products are generally safe and have high levels of encryption that make it difficult for hackers to get on to your devices.
All it takes to lessen fears about your information being stolen is choosing the right technology and being aware of what information you are posting about yourself and what others are posting about you. Ask your family members to ask your permission before posting anything that involves you in some way. Think twice about the image you post on Instagram or late-night tweet you post on Twitter. Talk online like you talk to your mom!
Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fu1C-oBdsMM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt4o-R9wzrs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni4FV5zL6lM
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