Internet Privacy through Companies and Government

Just 5 years ago, a small contractor working for the National Security Agency whistle blew documents and evidence to the public - that changed the way we see our government. That man, Edward Snowden, gave revelations of a government capable of finding out any online history, profile, and data of almost the entire country. It let Americans aware of the mass surveillance that is being done by their government.

After the announcement of the events, some resorted to techniques to keep their internet privacy to themselves. For example, one application online, titled Signal, encrypts every private message that it is sent.

But even with Snowden leaking the document to the public, why is internet privacy even important? Why do we need to hide anything? Is it such a big deal that the government, and even companies, know my online profile?

Some important aspects that are taken lightly on this matter are of the following:

Knowledge is Power: It may not seem like it at the time, but the more someone knows about us, the more power they have over us. Personal data can be used for anything. Even with a clean slate on a person, any dirt could be found and as leverage (and giving our entire life to the internet, anything is vulnerable).

The Wrong Hands: As far out there as it sounds, just one person, with the compatibility of so much, could be able to have intentions of malice. A small but malevolent example could be revenge porn, where an ex-partner or hacker releases personal pictures of their lovers. Now at a larger scale, a 'Big Brother' not only has a picture, but any information entirely (personal information, search history, ect.) is to the fingertips of their surveillance. With this much power, anything could be used against them.

The relationship of the two partners is looking amazing, everything is blissful. As time goes on though, it becomes sour, and a personal picture of you is being handed like a flyer. Imagine that on a larger scale with the Government or Companies - will this relationship last or will it become sour?

The Freedom and Thought of Speech: In my opinion, the most realistic aspect of this matter is of speech and thought, as many countries at this moment have many keywords and names completely banned from the internet. Freedom of speech are one of the fundamental cores and values of the United States, and what we believe is granted to ourselves. And with a watchful eye hovering above our computer screens, it could make us worried from explore ideas outside the mainstream. A prominent example could be the internet laws of North Korea. So much of the outside world is already forbidden by its government, and if you are one of the lucky ones to be using the internet, what you are searching and doing is likely heavily surveyed by the government. Another but smaller scale of surveillance that is done by the Government is by communist country of China. With such a large government control, many sites and propaganda that deliver the 'other opinion', like of the Tiananmen Square protests, are strictly forbidden (or trespassed, taken very un-lightly).

Although yes, we are one of millions of people that are being surveyed - but just the possibility, and the capability, is what changes the playing field that we are on. Even with almost everyone having best intentions, it just takes one small spark to start a great fire.

But as much as we know about its consequences and effects, the internet is already almost intertwined with our lives. Our emails, phone messages, and Facebook profiles are a second half of ourselves. As Bruce Schneier, a cybersecurity expert once said, "Unfortunately, we live in a world where most of our data is out of our control" (News.Harvard.edu). Because of this, the best thing to protect our privacy isn't to hide everything (as it is almost unavoidable in this age), but to merely acknowledge the trade-offs that are being done. Nothing wrong with continuing the life that we always have had, but to understand the importance and tread cautiously will make us that much more secure.

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@Raxadavid

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References:

https://teachprivacy.com/10-reasons-privacy-matters/

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2017/08/when-it-comes-to-internet-privacy-be-very-afraid-analyst-suggests/

https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/26/china-internet-censorship-new-crackdowns-and-rules-are-here-to-stay.html