The Government Wants You and Your Search Logs Too

Is your privacy worth a better search engine? Steven Levy explains in his article, “Will You Let Them Store Your Dreams?” that search logs are preserved for future use and aren’t as anonymous as one thought. Internet users believed their searches were private, but are finding out the complete opposite is true. Steven Wyer’s article, “Life with Big Brother: Government Paws on Our Every Tweet” reveals the government is blatantly interested in people’s search logs and why. Levy and Wyer agree society’s privacy has been compromised while using social media formats; both writers use similar strategies such as language, logos, and pathos to sway the audience to their respective viewpoints.

Both articles use highly charged language to create an emotional response from their readers. Levy uses words like revealing, exposed and intimate making the reader feel they are baring themselves for the world to see. Levy catches the reader’s attention when he asks the question, “What could be more revealing than a list of one’s search queries?” Readers might become paranoid with this question prompting them to wonder who examines their search logs. Levy causes the reader to feel exposed declaring, “The intimacy of our searches has led…other privacy experts to urge companies like Google [and others] not to retain such logs” which shows that even experts feel privacy laws have been breached and are imploring them to change their policies.

While Levy’s words leave his audience feeling unprotected from internet search hazards, Wyer rallies his audience to have feelings of patriotism through his comments; for example, he states “our online activity is of far more interest to Uncle Sam than might be considered healthy” and “Privacy is core to all we...

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...ke a decision but gives no direction on how the government should be stopped from invading their privacy.

Levy and Wyer point out through the use of language, facts and emotional appeals that internet privacy has, is and always will be prevalent. Levy’s article has a subtle, sarcastic quality to it but gives both sides of the story and thus more neutral than Wyer’s article. Wyer is clearly opinionated regarding the government invading society’s personal queries. Although both articles give facts, Wyer’s was able to give the audience more facts to compel his audience to action whereas Levy’s did not.

Word count: 9

Works Cited

Levy, Steven. "Will You Let Them Store Your Dreams?." Newsweek 148.11 (2006): 12. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.

Wyer, Steven. “Government Paws on Our Every Tweet.” World Net Daily. WND.com 28 Oct. 2011. Web. 1 April 2014