Blog Post #5: TED Talks and Privacy

 The TED Talks I watched were eye opening. I felt naïve, in a way, for not realizing the severity of my lack of privacy. From the discussion about the “electronic tattoo” to the topic of invasive police surveillance, I was shocked to see just how much I didn’t know.

The idea of the “electronic tattoo” presented by our social media habits and the internet in general shows relevance to everyone’s daily life. In my hand I have access to social media outlets that could ruin my career and reputation in seconds if I decide to post something that affects my image. This is a relatively new thing, as in past generations, there was much less permanence in the world. But your online presence is never truly erased.

The mass surveillance technology used by police has
reached the point of invasiveness.  One of the most shocking technologies I was exposed to was the police license plate scanners that provide photos to a database of pictures and location information. While helpful in the fight against crime, these databases are invasive and unfair to the average person who has done no wrong.

The idea that “there’s no real harm in mass surveillance because only people who do bad acts should feel the need to hide” is a bad argument. This assumes two types of people, good and bad. It also forgoes the idea that privacy is an important right of all people.

The fight for privacy is a difficult one. My only goal to fight against privacy is to make sure that I am mindful and conscious of my actions online. There are battles being fought over privacy today, but I believe our job is to keep ourselves safe first. For example, I rarely post online, and I use a VPN regularly. By keeping my posts to a minimum, I hope to limit my exposure to the invasive nature of the internet.