Blog Post #4:Privacy

Privacy Image

In today society, technology is tracing everything that we do using digital footprint. Digital footprint has become one of the most important issues that relates to our privacy. The idea that we constantly share our personal information through social media, online transaction and online searches can grow to gain data that can be accessed and exploited for your benefit or not. This digital footprint offers connectivity and connivence but is very bad because it is very costly to your personal privacy. Violating of privacy rights have become more consistent making people vulnerable to surveillance, identify theft and data breaches. The consequences of the breaches are not always visible but they do affect someone's security. It could affect someones life, relationship or their overall security as an whole. 

One of the key concerns related to our digital foot print is the use of recognition technologies. Within these TED Talks, technologies like facial recognition where someone can identify someone through photo ,video or even crowds very quickly. This technology shows that there is serious problem, especially because it becomes easy to access sensitive information such as banking information or person communication from just an single photo of you. Its scary that when you take an photo is shows private information about your life. The information that is gathered from the photo could be used against you or not. 

The digital vulnerability extends to everyday interactions. For example, when you post an picture or update status on social media, it exposes information that can be used for marketing, surveillance and even criminal activity. Even the smallest details cab we used like geotag in an photo or comment. This is made on an public platform that can reveal personal patterns of behavior, preferences and associations. This is why it is so important to be conscious of the information that we share online and long term impact that might have impact to our long term such as privacy and security. 

Another issue is history of telephone surveillance, as talked about in a TED talk that shows the role of telephone companies in being able to use government wiretapping. For over an century , these companies helped authorize monitor phone calls which raise serious problem about the extent that your personal privacy can be invaded. Wire trapping is not confined to government agencies, actually anyone or any organization with the right resource could intercept your phone call. This showed the risk of everyday communication hat can he misused or overheard. To protect privacy, people can turn to encryption messaging service like iMessage which is an secure communication that convert them into unreadable format. Encryption makes sure that the message can not be accessed by unauthorized users by providing users like providing layers of security in increasingly vulnerable digital world.  

Relying on individual actions is not enough. The government have an huge impact on ensuring that the protection of personal privacy. Legislative shows that there are restriction the extended wire trapping and promote privacy enhancing technologies that should be enact. For example, there is mandatory encryption of phone calls that could be implemented as default practice that ensures that all communication remains secure. Promoting secure communication technologies empower consumers to help them feel confident in the safety of their personal data. The trust in telecommunication services  or governments can help balance security problems within the individual rights to privacy. 

The protection of personal privacy in the digital age is not just for individual responsibility but also requires systemic changes. The government, technology companies and individuals collaborate to help privacy rights. Privacy happens through the law, the promotion of secure communication technologies that can increase awareness of the risk that is being used by digital footprints. As we go through, it is important to prioritize privacy ensuring that everyone enjoys the benefit of technology without comprising their personal security.