Online Privacy

 Within our modern age of technology and social media, the ability to find privacy is disappearing at an alarming rate. Many even are attempting to bring the knowledge of the surveillance technology that is built into smartphones and computers today. One such individual bringing attention to this issue is Christopher Soghoian, who has done multiple TED Talks within the past few years regarding the issue and how people can be more protected over their phone calls and texts. Government listening to phone calls has been an occurrence for more than a century and used to be done through connecting wires. Now, with satellite communication, it has become far easier for third-person parties to intercept and access personal information.

Beyond phone calls, typically when you access a website for the first time, a message will come up and it will ask you to "Accept cookies". Cookies are block text files that include passwords, usernames, and data on what you seem to be interested in searching for. These files can be used with the intent of showing ads that are better targeted to a person, or they could be stolen and used maliciously to access personal information and access credit card information.

Furthermore, many people share personal information with people they are romantically involved with. If that relationship ends, especially if it ends poorly, then that information may get released publicly. Before the internet, things like revenge porn did not exist and it was much more difficult to spread information, whether true or false; or spread photos. Now though, it only takes a click or a tap, and information and images are available internationally. With social media, 10 second to full minute-long videos are easily shared as well as photos. It is possible to completely ruin someone's life and career with just a few clicks and the person would not even know it occurred.