The Truth Behind Privacy

Privacy is something that we all hold dear to us. When it comes to our personal information, we hope that no one interferes with that space, but what if we have been naive this whole time? I watched four videos from TED Talk where the guest speakers each talked about how our privacy is exposed without us even knowing it. The proof that they show not only made me completely surprised but what was even more shocking is the government is behind it all. Today, I will be reviewing some of the things that I learned from each of the TED Talks but also give some of my inputs about the problem with privacy.

TED Talk Reviews

In the first TED Talk video, Juan Enriquez used the concept of tattoos and compared them to Facebook, Google, cell phones, GPS, and credit cards which he calls "electronic tattoos" (1.10).  Electronic tattoos last way longer than we do, so it is crucial that we think before we post anything (3.45). When we are online, everything we do is being watched. Whether is it shopping, posting a cute pic on our accounts, or sharing tweets on Twitter, those will be online forever (even if we delete them). There is always a trace of us, and how Enriquez calls it, we are facing the reality of immortality. Catherine Crump shares with the audience how mass surveillance is enabling local police departments to obtain sensitive information about each of us (0.35). The government knows way more about us and when your drive, these surveillance systems can capture your license plate and the police would keep them in case they need to. The fact that these systems are literally everywhere and the government has this data information on us just feels like our privacy is no longer private. 

In the third TED Talk video,  Christopher Soghoian explains how cell phone networks could be listening to our phone calls without our knowledge (0.48).  These networks have built surveillance systems if whether it is the government, hackers, stalkers, or criminals, they could hear our conversations.  He then informs us on what we should do to avoid our conversations being heard by unwanted listeners and says that Apple and Whatsapp have strong built-in encryption so wiretapping cannot happen. These tools are needed so we can feel secure.  It is nice to know that there is actually something we can do to prevent an issue like this from happening, but it is imperative to continue to be cautious of our actions.  In the last TED Talk video, Darieth Chisolm shares her story about her ex-boyfriend using her private photos of her and uploading them to a website as revenge porn because she left him. Her journey to receive justice was a long one, but she did prevail. What I liked most about her story was when she talked about how she conquered this terrible experience and used her power to help others. 

In Conclusion

These issues are so important to talk about today because everything we do is revolved around technology. We are made to believe that our privacy is our own, but when there are people who are trying to take our information without our consent, especially our own government, we have to take the necessary steps to protect ourselves and our information. I want to call my family without being worried that there is a third-party listening, or if the police capture my license that they would not have it saved for whatever reason they might come up with. We should use the built-in encryption tools, watch what we say and post, and think about every move that we do online to ensure our own safety and privacy.