Privacy: What It Means in Today's Day in Age

Privacy is a basic human right. That has, unfortunately, been so far from the truth over the past decade, and that is thanks in part to the rapid increase of technology and social media. So many people are blinded by all the information and positive action that technology brings that they fail to recognize just how much power they’ve given the companies that run that platform. 

There are 4.74 billion users of social media on the planet, and Americans take up a lofty amount of that percentage. With such a large database of users, social media companies have free reign to do whatever they’d like with one’s information, which includes allowing the government to track your every move. As someone who did their Each One, Teach One presentation about the Five Eyes, it is very clear that the government has no regard for privacy and will do everything possible to find their way into its citizens’ private information. Because of this, nothing is truly ever private, whether that is from others, from companies or from the government. 

While I personally haven’t had any experiences (that I know of) of privacy invasions, I have had family members that have fallen for phishing scams, and people I know have lost access to both their social media and bank accounts due to hacking. I do everything I can to keep my information safe and secure.

There’s only so much one can do to protect themselves from invasions of privacy on the governmental level. However, a way to avoid being hacked or having personal information given to an unwanted person is to keep a strong sense of security around your image and your info. Don’t use your real name or email when signing up for certain things, keep your passwords safe and secure, and make sure you fully trust the people around you. As shown in the TED Talks, it is so easy to have your private life infiltrated, and there are plenty of horrible scenarios that can occur (such as revenge porn) that can ruin your life. In a world with so little privacy, the best thing you can do is educate yourself.