Blog Post Eight

 Privacy Online

    As I watched the TED Talks videos provided to us, I can't help but explain that as someone on multiple social media accounts, it is scary to think about how many different aspects of online privacy are just not private. With this being said, I was able to analyze these videos and understand better what goes into these websites and applications that so many people across the world take part in, but also better understand how to get away from it.

    In the first video with Juan Enriquez, he touches on the theory of online tattoos, which at first was a little confusing. He explained that like tattoos, they are forever, and so is your life online.  He alludes to the fact that there are so many applications on social media that can identify someone's face before actually tagging anyone in the photo. For example, there was a website called Face.com that held about 18 million different faces in the application itself. To no one's surprise, this company was sold to Facebook in 2012 to help others tag their friends in their posts. 

    In the second video, Catherine Krump explains how police departments have been capturing vast quantities of surveillance on people that is sensitive information. For example, locations on cars are being tracked which, as she explains can be sensitive due to one's whereabouts. She uses the example of one going to an alcoholic's anonymous meeting which is something that someone may not want others to know. The government then uses this information to profile you and guess on what kind of person you are; which could be very far from the truth.

    In the third video, we are presented with information from Christopher Soghoian on avoiding surveillance on you, especially when your phone is in your pocket. He explains that for many years, our phones caught so much information and surveillance on us. However, it has become easier since technology has advanced. The first thing that telephone companies do to make our precious cell phones, wires them for surveillance. Any party, like the government, other governments, hackers, and more can get into our personal phone calls and text messages with the wiring that companies do to their phones. 

    In the fourth and final video, Darieth Chilsom enlightens watchers and listeners on the revenge porn industry and how it has turned lives upside down. She had once been a victim of revenge porn where her private parts were revealed on a website that her ex-husband had been told to go and look at by her ex-boyfriend. She explains that 1 in 30 women have been affected by revenge porn. However, there are absolutely no laws to criminalize revenge porn. She also explains that the trouble that one may get in for revenge porn could be as simple as a fine. Women have to go through battles with mental illness and are potentially losing their jobs for their nude pictures being online. The issue arises to be the fact that the third party internet websites are what is the most complicated part because they are not compliant nor responsive to take the photos or videos or really any type of content down.     

    In conclusion, there are many steps we can take to be more protective of ourselves online and off. However, there is already so much of our information in huge databases that we can't do anything about. These topics being discussed are so relevant today due to all the use of electronics like cell phones, and on these cellphones, social media applications. The government obviously needs to reevaluate the information and the access they have to their personal lives, but let's be honest, this may not change for many years due to how much they love knowing information about their citizens.