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How does technology threaten or influence privacy
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Technology and invasion of privacy
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As Americans we have the right as individuals to our own privacy. Yet, our privacy is disappearing at a rapid pace. Are we doing enough to protect it? Or maybe we don’t have a choice, but to give it up. We live in a very modern society with new technology silently swiping us off our feet taking us along into its technical world.
According to David Plotz from the article, “Privacy is Overrated”, he indicates that our privacy has been demolished. Plotz starts the essay off by stating facts about himself and how his privacy is being invaded on a daily basis. He advocates that due to technology it is a lot easier to capture ones private life. Then the author gives clear cut examples of how his digital life is tracking him stating, “telecoms can pinpoint where I am when I make my phone calls” (Plotz 66-71). He goes on explaining how his credit card company keeps track of his every move, and how his computer creates cookies from the websites he visits on the internet. Plotz also believes that the government or “big brother” as he calls them, is in control of our privacy, their excuse is using it for terrorism information.
In the essay the author not only talks about unpleasant side of privacy invasion, but also the benefits we get from it. He explains targeted marketing, how that saves us money and junk mail. Credit cards
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and mortgages are easier to get, because they share our data with each other. Identity fraud has become easier where credit card fraud has become more difficult (Plotz 66-71). It’s true that technology is invading our lives and taking over society, for example, our smart phones.
We keep all our data on there, our pictures, contact list, and emails. It’s understandable that app companies and the government agencies would be tracking our smart phones and using it as a target to get our personal information. No doubt, a push of a button we are able to install an app, but we have to realize that not all of them are meant for entertainment purposes. Those apps are a good reason why identity theft is so high. Instead of being so quick to install the apps look for the privacy policy and get informed on the data it
collects. Our digital life is tracking us more then we realize. I strongly agree with the author that the government is watching us. They can turn on that camera and microphone on our laptop and smart phone and watch and listen to us. Google maps is tracking us, heck, they can even tell us where we were exactly when and what time we took our last selfie. The author talks about the credit card companies and sadly it’s true that they are tracking our every move. A good example, my husband had this same credit card for five years and he used it for everything, cloths, food, gas, and more. One day he decided to buy a Starbucks coffee, which he had never bought Starbucks before. Right away it denied the purchase. The credit card company called within a few seconds after that asking if it was him. He told them yes, it was him; they made the statement, “but you never buy Starbucks?” Within this time period of five years their computers analyzed his every purchase and it built this digital person of him. So when he made this unusual purchase it raised a red flag. That’s the reason why credit card fraud has become less. They can catch the thief before the individual even knows the card is missing. Again, Plotz makes a good point when he bring up targeted marketing in his essay. I’m sure everyone can relate to it. Facebook for example, we browse the internet looking up a university or shop for clothing. Next time we log onto facebook, there that exact brand of cloths pops up and the university you were just looking at. Just an easy click of a button away. Same with the catalog that comes in the mail. When I was planning my wedding and shopping for wedding décor and browsing for ideas on the internet I started getting wedding catalogs in the mail. They obviously won’t send a wedding decor catalog to ninety-six year old women that will more than likely not get married again. If they’d do that they’d be losing money. Targeted marketing is saving companies time and money by tracking exactly what we buy from our size to our styles and sharing that information with each other. The author of this essay has done great research on privacy. There’s nothing I don’t agree with from this. Although, he could have added a few preventive measures that we can take to avoid privacy invasion. As a society we have drifted into a more technical world and having internet, smart phones, iPads and credit cards makes us more prone to losing our privacy. To stay on board with the new technology we need those new devices in order for it all to work together. There are some preventive measures we can still take in order to keep safe from those looking to harm our identity. I don’t believe all hope is lost for us yet. Works Cited David Plotz.”Privacy is Overrated.” Ed. Gary Goshgarain. What Matters in America. Boston: Pearson, 2012 66-71. Print.
The United States has lived through an age of terrorism and the citizens have come to realize that they would rather ensure the safety of the masses than protect their privacy. Works Cited Cunningham, David. A. "The Patterning of Repression: FBI Counterintelligence and the New Left." Social Forces 82.1 (2003): 209–40. JSTOR.com - "The New York Times" Oxford Journals.
The word “privacy” has a different meaning in our society than it did in previous times. You can put on Privacy settings on Facebook, twitter, or any social media sights, however, nothing is truly personal and without others being able to view your information. You can get to know a person’s personal life simply by typing in their name in google. In the chronicle review, “Why Privacy Matters Even if You Have ‘Nothing to Hide,'" published on May 15th 2011, Professor Daniel J. Solove argues that the issue of privacy affects more than just individuals hiding a wrong. The nothing-to-hide argument pervades discussions about privacy. Solove starts talking about this argument right away in the article and discusses how the nothing-to-hide
In the Engineering and Technology Journal, two engineers, Gareth Mitchell and Guy Clapperton, gave their thoughts on both sides of the privacy issue. Is gathering information violating personal privacy? They made their arguments using currency as a metaphor for personal information and online services a product. Mitchell argues the case that giving out personal information is “too high a price to pay” (Mitchell, 2013, p. 26). He says that despite the option to opt out of cookies and certain information, many sites are more covert and make their opt out option less accessible than a pop up asking to opt out. The site makes it hard for the Internet user to say no to being tracked. Mitchell warns the reader to take more consideration into what information they are giving away and that “privacy is not to be taken for granted” (Mitchell, 2013, p. 26). Getting information from the Internet would mean tra...
Edward Snowden is America’s most recent controversial figure. People can’t decide if he is their hero or traitor. Nevertheless, his leaks on the U.S. government surveillance program, PRISM, demand an explanation. Many American citizens have been enraged by the thought of the government tracing their telecommunication systems. According to factbrowser.com 54% of internet users would rather have more online privacy, even at the risk of security (Facts Tagged with Privacy). They say it is an infringement on their privacy rights of the constitution. However, some of them don’t mind; they believe it will help thwart the acts of terrorists. Both sides make a good point, but the inevitable future is one where the government is adapting as technology is changing. In order for us to continue living in the new digital decade, we must accept the government’s ability to surveil us.
We must go through a lot of loss of privacy living here in America; security cameras constantly watch us, our credit cards are monitored, and even things like our social media life is monitored closely. Obviously we are not as monitored as countries such as North Korea, but we are still more monitored than we think we are. America is being watched around the clock, one great example is the Xbox One, which has its camera always on and monitoring.
The personal connection Americans have with their phones, tablets, and computers; and the rising popularity of online shopping and social websites due to the massive influence the social media has on Americans, it is clear why this generation is called the Information Age, also known as Digital Age. With the Internet being a huge part of our lives, more and more personal data is being made available, because of our ever-increasing dependence and use of the Internet on our phones, tablets, and computers. Some corporations such as Google, Amazon, and Facebook; governments, and other third parties have been tracking our internet use and acquiring data in order to provide personalized services and advertisements for consumers. Many American such as Nicholas Carr who wrote the article “Tracking Is an Assault on Liberty, With Real Dangers,” Anil Dagar who wrote the article “Internet, Economy and Privacy,” and Grace Nasri who wrote the article “Why Consumers are Increasingly Willing to Trade Data for Personalization,” believe that the continuing loss of personal privacy may lead us as a society to devalue the concept of privacy and see privacy as outdated and unimportant. Privacy is dead and corporations, governments, and third parties murdered it for their personal gain not for the interest of the public as they claim. There are more disadvantages than advantages on letting corporations, governments, and third parties track and acquire data to personalized services and advertisements for us.
In today’s society I believe that Americans truly enjoy the last piece of their privacy that they have left. There isn’t much left that is private these days. Everything or everyone is being monitored to a certain degree. Your moves on the internet are being followed, you might very well have your phone conversations listened into, and your grocery store purchases are also being recorded.
The word “privacy” did not grow up with us throughout history, as it was already a cultural concept by our founding fathers. This term was later solidified in the nineteenth century, when the term “privacy” became a legal lexicon as Louis Brandeis (1890), former Supreme Court justice, wrote in a law review article, that, “privacy was the right to be let alone.” As previously mentioned in the introduction, the Supreme Court is the final authority on all issues between Privacy and Security. We started with the concept of our fore fathers that privacy was an agreed upon concept that became written into our legal vernacular. It is being proven that government access to individual information can intimidate the privacy that is at the very center of the association between the government and the population. The moral in...
Technology is robbing people of personal privacy. Today’s generation view technology as a basic necessity. It is found everywhere. There are even homes that are completely automated. However it is safe to say were being robbed of our personal privacy. For instance many people carry their cellular phone to the washroom. Another example of the intrusive nature of the cell phone is at funerals. Many have been at such a private and personal moment only to be interrupted by the irreverent ringtone from a cellular phone. Not to mention that there are families who no longer enjoy face to face communication with their loved ones. All emotions are now translated by emoticons, a computer application.
[4] H. Nissenbaum. Toward an Approach to Privacy in Public: Challenges of Information Technology. Ethics & Behavior, 7(3): 207-220, 1997.
As society has progressed, there have been many new innovative and unbelievable developments in almost all aspects of life that have ultimately created an impact. More specifically, advancements in technology have rather had a much larger and intense impact on society as it continues to grow. Technology has allowed for many great and useful applications that has made life much easier and convenient. However, many aspects of technology have given a rise to a number of social and ethical issues, causing numerous debates and concerns. One of the more prominent concerns deals with the issue of privacy rights.
Perhaps the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, said it best when he claimed that privacy is no longer a “social norm.” Virtually everyone has a smart phone and everyone has social media. We continue to disclose private information willingly and the private information we’re not disclosing willingly is being extracted from our accounts anyway. Technology certainly makes these things possible. However, there is an urgent need to make laws and regulations to protect against the stuff we’re not personally disclosing. It’s unsettling to think we are living in 1984 in the 21st century.
Gralla, Preston. "Smartphone Apps: Is Your Privacy Protected?" Computerworld. N.p., 7 July 2011. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
Privacy from governments has been under assault increasing amounts in the last 100 years. Technology has revolutionized the concept, as before we had microphones, telephones, wiretaps, video cameras, someone would actually need to trespass to violate your privacy. For example, you would need to actually be in someone?s house to eavesdrop on his or her conversation without technological help[1]. Privacy protection can be looked at as how far society can intrude into a person?s personal affairs.
Americans’ personal privacy is being to be ruined by the rise of four different types of surveillance system. The four are: federal government agencies; state and local law enforcement entities; telecoms, web sites and Internet “apps” companies; and private data aggregators .The right to privacy is not derived from any source; however the Declaration of Human Rights states that "No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor attacks upon his honor or reputation"(Stone 348). The right to protection is also secured by the Privacy Act of 1974 and found through the in the first, fourth and fifth amendments of the United States Constitution.