Preston Sparks
ENG 102
Mrs. Walker
Privacy In Todays Digital World
The idea of being perfectly isolated from everyone and everything else in the world is almost impossible. From having real life interactions with friends, family, and new people you meet in the world. With the introduction of the internet, it brings a new way for people to be social without having to go outside so much. But with that in mind, sometimes only using the internet can cause someone to overshare a piece of information that they may not have intended to share in person. Most people use the internet for shopping, social media, and their source of daily information. Some people have malicious intentions while using the internet, and because of those people, it's important that what's shared online is what is intended to be shared. With consistent change over the course of its development, the internet has been a place where fear can come through the screen. From shopping online and accidentally releasing private information, hoping to win something for free, or trusting an anonymous source with important banking information. The internet is full of fraud, and people are trying to take others information without them knowing. Having one's personal information leaked onto the internet onto a source that they didn't allow is a recipe for disaster for that individual.
In the beginning of the internet, it was only used for governments to be able to easily share information with each other, but then it was realized that it could be used by anyone for a plethora of reasons. The internet's intended uses were to send people around the world virtual letters, called "e-mails", and with this it allowed people to send to more than one person. Not long after, companies decided to figure out new ways that the internet could be used, from online shopping, to even sharing personal information on social media websites. Being cautious on the internet is something that most people are already familiar with because "one of the most common ways that cyber criminals hack your sensitive data is by tricking you into clicking on links or attachments. Often, these are in the form of what appear to be legitimate emails, which is called phishing" (P.N.). This type of fraud was the first of its kind and can be used to draw a user to accidentally send an unknown source a piece of personal data, thinking it's someone else. The types of data could be banking information, addresses, or even social security information, all of which are pieces of personal data that hackers try to take from people. After this form of hacking, next came along the fraud callers, which are called "Vishing is phishing over the phone. Your voice confirms your PII, credentials, financial information, and more to the very reputable lady who was definitely calling from the bank." (Joy). Believing that someone can outsmart a hacker is only done in movies, hackers will not give up until they have gotten what they want from the person they're targeting. Even the simplest kind of use on the internet allows for someone of unknown origin access to steal something that one considers personal data.
To follow, people have had the belief that the government uses the internet to watch what people are doing on it. From something as simple as watching websites trying to catch any illegal activities, to just trying to invade people's privacy. In 1974 the government created what is called the Privacy Act, "The Privacy Act prohibits the disclosure of a record about an individual from a system of records absent the written consent of the individual, unless the disclosure is pursuant to one of twelve statutory exceptions" (USDOJ). Even though this was enacted before the creation of the internet, its laws are correlated with the uses of the internet. The Privacy Act allows for people to be able to "trust" the government with their sensitive information without the worry of them selling it, or using it without their permission, unless they believe ulterior motives are in play. That means that they're able to give their information to people who have the authority to make corrections. But with this law, people don't believe that the government is doing what they say. People often think that just because the government says that they do something, doesn't mean that they do it. Just like the idea of not spying on people in ways that they don't know. Meanwhile the government believes that "surveillance can be justified on grounds of maintaining national security or preserving public safety, it invariably poses challenges to digital privacy" (IEEE). This doesn't sit well with the public and their trust in their government with the things that they want to keep private. Not everyone thinks that the government is watching them through the internet and has access to do what they please. Additionally, the government passed the Electronic Communications Privacy Act in 1986 which was designed "to expand and revise federal wiretapping and electronic eavesdropping provisions. It was enacted to create promote the privacy expectations of citizens and the legitimate needs of law enforcement." Furthering the legal justification of not being able to access anyone's personal information to another person. Even with laws in place, there are people who will go around what is legal just to get information from your device, or from another source that it can be found on. The government has had a history of trying to explain why they feel the need to spy on people, but placing laws will only allow them to go so far, they feel the need to be watching people for the matter of national security. Back in early 2010's a person by the name of Edward Snowden who was an employee at the National Security Agency "revealed the existence of previously classified mass intelligence-gathering surveillance programs run by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) and the U.K.'s intelligence organization, Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ)" (Younger). This act proved to people that their government was actively spying on them without their knowledge. People wanted to believe that what they're doing in private remained private, and their information could be trusted in the hands of the government, but with this news heard around the world, it changed people's trust for their privacy. It changed the way that people value their private information and how they were able to manage it without the worry of someone in their government being able to expose it. One of the ways that the government uses to watch the public is through electronic devices, such as cell phones, tablets, and computers. With technology constantly advancing, being able to see what someone is doing is only becoming easier, from the use of the microphones and cameras implanted inside the cell phones and tablets, people believe that the government is watching and listening to their every move. The idea of spying on an individual is considered unethical, but the government can see and hear someone that they choose, "all this would be done without your knowledge or express permission, otherwise, it wouldn't be considered spying. Ethically, spying is wrong, even when carried out by the government" (Masango). Worrying about what the government is able to see what someone is doing is a burden for most people because they think that the government is out to he them, although they claim it's a matter of national security, but it makes people wonder if they're on some form of watch list and can make them take drastic measures to ensure that their information is kept private.
To add further to the idea of spying, a form of it can be considered what people are seeing while using the internet. Some people know that when they are using the internet and are looking for certain things, often it will show back up later when it's no longer needed. Using advertisements, the internet will gather information about what someone is searching for and try to help them search for it faster. For example, if someone is searching for a specific car, then they will receive advertisements about where that car may have the best deal. With this people think that their device is listening to them by being able to "read their mind". But the internet has a collection of earlier search histories that are called "Cookies". These allow for the user of the device to have some information stored on the internet that will only help the user. But with technology always changing, people think that these "Cookies" are doing more than just that. Internet cookies don't just have one use, from session cookies to persistent cookies, and even performance cookies, but the main one comes in the form of advertisement cookies. Advertising cookies "are used by websites to track the browning activities and behavior of users online to build a profile of the user's interests and show them relevant advertisements on other websites" (Kavya). These methods make people believe their device is spying on them by sending codes that match specific searches across the internet. If these weren't in place then every time someone goes to access the internet, the experience will be different each time, meaning that it can be a random online experience each time. While the internet is specifically designed in a way that its for a "younger group" there are restrictions within. Websites on the internet are only allowed to solicit to individuals over the age of 14, regardless of the type of product, with the help of the Child Online Privacy Protection Act," which prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices in connection with the collection, use, and/or disclosure of personal information from and about children on the Internet." This act is in place to restrict websites to be able to sell, offer, or store children's information on the internet. Without this in place, websites would be allowed to have access to information about a child that they may have input on to the website without the parents' permission. Simple laws like this are in place to keep information about people who wouldn't know how to hide it any better than a person who is over that age and prevent any problems for that person in the future. Although some websites are considered "child friendly", to access them they're required to announce that they need "adult supervision" while browsing and suggest that an adult is making sure that their child is seeing what they're supposed too. With these in place it allows for personal information from a child to not be exploited or stored on the internet where people who are trying to gather information can be accessed.
Meanwhile being careful with private information on the internet can be inevitable, people use certain mechanics to make that much easier to hide. Each device has what is called an "Internet Protocol Address" (IP), this is a string of numbers that is only found on one device, no two are alike, and if someone can gain access to someone's IP address then they can access your device. With the use of a virtual private network (VPN) that makes it harder for someone such as a hacker to access; a VPN scrambles the IP address through a virtual network and allows the website to not know where the device is accessing the website from. This means that they could be living in the United States, and their computer can be showing the website that they're across the world in a part of Asia. This form of security allows people to not worry about whether their private information is at risk while simply browsing the internet. But with the use of these VPN's people still ponder if their information is safe. Like, what if these services aren't doing what they're supposed to be doing and just selling the information of the users to the highest bidder. VPNs are software, and "like any software, all VPNs are technically capable of being hacked. No software is 100% perfect, and VPNs, like any internet-based software, can fall victim to different attacks" (Millares). Even though they add a layer of protection to the user's device, which doesn't mean that it's impossible to be broken into. The vice president of public policy as the National Consumers League, John Breyault said it best "There's no foolproof way to protect your privacy and data security from the government, for example. But there are plenty of basic, important steps people can take to reduce their risk" (Lang). This proves that even though people take a plethora of steps towards preventing attacks, nothing can be done if someone is desperate enough while trying to look for your information online. If not for some of these services provided by companies, then the internet would be a wasteland, where it is only known for people who have illegal intentions, but not everyone has the idea to use one if they think that it will possibly benefit them.
Lastly, people worry about the amount of data that the companies who create the devices that are used to access the internet can see. With each new device, some form of security is added, and taken away to make money for these companies. Apple Co. and Samsung are two of the world's largest companies and have billions of people's information stored on their devices. Although in recent years, Apple has denied giving out information such as "refusing a request by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to help unlock the iPhones of a shooter responsible for an attack in Florida" (Montalbano). But this doesn't mean they can't it means that they won't, even if they're not willing to help the FBI they're still announcing that they're able to if they really wanted too, just like how Apple said, "it has provided "gigabytes of information" to law enforcement related to the case" (Feiner). People know that the companies that create their devices are unethically allowed to view, or release any personal information, but it also means that it's all stored somewhere "securely". This in mind, it means that if a hacker was looking for a way to find information out about someone, all they'd have to do is access the companies' data storages. Causing people to wonder why the companies have so much storage for people's personal data, if they're claiming they're not doing anything with it.
Overall, the idea of living in a perfectly private world will never work due to the complications of the internet, people always give out some form of information that they deem private at some point in their life, from an address for something to be delivered, a phone number, or even online banking information. All of it can be accessed by someone who is looking to destroy another person's life. Even with the use of VPNs not everything is going to be perfect the way you want, same with trusting the government with your information. Someone somewhere and somehow will be able to access your data without your permission, through various ways on the internet. The meaning of privacy has changed repeatedly, now worrying about where it could be at, on a virtual database, and who is able to access it. People want to be able to live their lives without the burden of accidentally spreading personal data to an entity that may have ill intentions for it and with the world always changing, that is only becoming harder to do. Through the uses of security networks, they're only able to do so much that they can help a person protect what they need protected. There needs to be another layer of security to allow people to breathe when browsing the internet. Governments need to restrict access to what they're able to see and do, although laws are in place, which doesn't mean they won't go behind their back and do what they want too. People have seen it before, and that has only put more distrust into the people living in their counties.
Works Cited
Montalbano, Elizabeth. "Apple Denies FBI Request to Unlock Shooter's Iphone-Again." Threatpost English Global Threatpostcom, Threatpost, 14 Jan. 2020, threatpost.com/apple-denies-fbi-request-to-unlock-shooters-iphone-again/151797/.
Team, Cookieyes. "What Are Internet Cookies and What Do They Do?" CookieYes, 16 July 2024, cookieyes.com/blog/internet-cookies/.
Younger, Nick. "The Case of Edward Snowden." National Whistleblower Center, 23 Feb. 2021, whistleblowers.org/news/the-case-of-edward-snowden/.
ENG 102
Mrs. Walker
Privacy In Todays Digital World
The idea of being perfectly isolated from everyone and everything else in the world is almost impossible. From having real life interactions with friends, family, and new people you meet in the world. With the introduction of the internet, it brings a new way for people to be social without having to go outside so much. But with that in mind, sometimes only using the internet can cause someone to overshare a piece of information that they may not have intended to share in person. Most people use the internet for shopping, social media, and their source of daily information. Some people have malicious intentions while using the internet, and because of those people, it's important that what's shared online is what is intended to be shared. With consistent change over the course of its development, the internet has been a place where fear can come through the screen. From shopping online and accidentally releasing private information, hoping to win something for free, or trusting an anonymous source with important banking information. The internet is full of fraud, and people are trying to take others information without them knowing. Having one's personal information leaked onto the internet onto a source that they didn't allow is a recipe for disaster for that individual.
In the beginning of the internet, it was only used for governments to be able to easily share information with each other, but then it was realized that it could be used by anyone for a plethora of reasons. The internet's intended uses were to send people around the world virtual letters, called "e-mails", and with this it allowed people to send to more than one person. Not long after, companies decided to figure out new ways that the internet could be used, from online shopping, to even sharing personal information on social media websites. Being cautious on the internet is something that most people are already familiar with because "one of the most common ways that cyber criminals hack your sensitive data is by tricking you into clicking on links or attachments. Often, these are in the form of what appear to be legitimate emails, which is called phishing" (P.N.). This type of fraud was the first of its kind and can be used to draw a user to accidentally send an unknown source a piece of personal data, thinking it's someone else. The types of data could be banking information, addresses, or even social security information, all of which are pieces of personal data that hackers try to take from people. After this form of hacking, next came along the fraud callers, which are called "Vishing is phishing over the phone. Your voice confirms your PII, credentials, financial information, and more to the very reputable lady who was definitely calling from the bank." (Joy). Believing that someone can outsmart a hacker is only done in movies, hackers will not give up until they have gotten what they want from the person they're targeting. Even the simplest kind of use on the internet allows for someone of unknown origin access to steal something that one considers personal data.
To follow, people have had the belief that the government uses the internet to watch what people are doing on it. From something as simple as watching websites trying to catch any illegal activities, to just trying to invade people's privacy. In 1974 the government created what is called the Privacy Act, "The Privacy Act prohibits the disclosure of a record about an individual from a system of records absent the written consent of the individual, unless the disclosure is pursuant to one of twelve statutory exceptions" (USDOJ). Even though this was enacted before the creation of the internet, its laws are correlated with the uses of the internet. The Privacy Act allows for people to be able to "trust" the government with their sensitive information without the worry of them selling it, or using it without their permission, unless they believe ulterior motives are in play. That means that they're able to give their information to people who have the authority to make corrections. But with this law, people don't believe that the government is doing what they say. People often think that just because the government says that they do something, doesn't mean that they do it. Just like the idea of not spying on people in ways that they don't know. Meanwhile the government believes that "surveillance can be justified on grounds of maintaining national security or preserving public safety, it invariably poses challenges to digital privacy" (IEEE). This doesn't sit well with the public and their trust in their government with the things that they want to keep private. Not everyone thinks that the government is watching them through the internet and has access to do what they please. Additionally, the government passed the Electronic Communications Privacy Act in 1986 which was designed "to expand and revise federal wiretapping and electronic eavesdropping provisions. It was enacted to create promote the privacy expectations of citizens and the legitimate needs of law enforcement." Furthering the legal justification of not being able to access anyone's personal information to another person. Even with laws in place, there are people who will go around what is legal just to get information from your device, or from another source that it can be found on. The government has had a history of trying to explain why they feel the need to spy on people, but placing laws will only allow them to go so far, they feel the need to be watching people for the matter of national security. Back in early 2010's a person by the name of Edward Snowden who was an employee at the National Security Agency "revealed the existence of previously classified mass intelligence-gathering surveillance programs run by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) and the U.K.'s intelligence organization, Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ)" (Younger). This act proved to people that their government was actively spying on them without their knowledge. People wanted to believe that what they're doing in private remained private, and their information could be trusted in the hands of the government, but with this news heard around the world, it changed people's trust for their privacy. It changed the way that people value their private information and how they were able to manage it without the worry of someone in their government being able to expose it. One of the ways that the government uses to watch the public is through electronic devices, such as cell phones, tablets, and computers. With technology constantly advancing, being able to see what someone is doing is only becoming easier, from the use of the microphones and cameras implanted inside the cell phones and tablets, people believe that the government is watching and listening to their every move. The idea of spying on an individual is considered unethical, but the government can see and hear someone that they choose, "all this would be done without your knowledge or express permission, otherwise, it wouldn't be considered spying. Ethically, spying is wrong, even when carried out by the government" (Masango). Worrying about what the government is able to see what someone is doing is a burden for most people because they think that the government is out to he them, although they claim it's a matter of national security, but it makes people wonder if they're on some form of watch list and can make them take drastic measures to ensure that their information is kept private.
To add further to the idea of spying, a form of it can be considered what people are seeing while using the internet. Some people know that when they are using the internet and are looking for certain things, often it will show back up later when it's no longer needed. Using advertisements, the internet will gather information about what someone is searching for and try to help them search for it faster. For example, if someone is searching for a specific car, then they will receive advertisements about where that car may have the best deal. With this people think that their device is listening to them by being able to "read their mind". But the internet has a collection of earlier search histories that are called "Cookies". These allow for the user of the device to have some information stored on the internet that will only help the user. But with technology always changing, people think that these "Cookies" are doing more than just that. Internet cookies don't just have one use, from session cookies to persistent cookies, and even performance cookies, but the main one comes in the form of advertisement cookies. Advertising cookies "are used by websites to track the browning activities and behavior of users online to build a profile of the user's interests and show them relevant advertisements on other websites" (Kavya). These methods make people believe their device is spying on them by sending codes that match specific searches across the internet. If these weren't in place then every time someone goes to access the internet, the experience will be different each time, meaning that it can be a random online experience each time. While the internet is specifically designed in a way that its for a "younger group" there are restrictions within. Websites on the internet are only allowed to solicit to individuals over the age of 14, regardless of the type of product, with the help of the Child Online Privacy Protection Act," which prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices in connection with the collection, use, and/or disclosure of personal information from and about children on the Internet." This act is in place to restrict websites to be able to sell, offer, or store children's information on the internet. Without this in place, websites would be allowed to have access to information about a child that they may have input on to the website without the parents' permission. Simple laws like this are in place to keep information about people who wouldn't know how to hide it any better than a person who is over that age and prevent any problems for that person in the future. Although some websites are considered "child friendly", to access them they're required to announce that they need "adult supervision" while browsing and suggest that an adult is making sure that their child is seeing what they're supposed too. With these in place it allows for personal information from a child to not be exploited or stored on the internet where people who are trying to gather information can be accessed.
Meanwhile being careful with private information on the internet can be inevitable, people use certain mechanics to make that much easier to hide. Each device has what is called an "Internet Protocol Address" (IP), this is a string of numbers that is only found on one device, no two are alike, and if someone can gain access to someone's IP address then they can access your device. With the use of a virtual private network (VPN) that makes it harder for someone such as a hacker to access; a VPN scrambles the IP address through a virtual network and allows the website to not know where the device is accessing the website from. This means that they could be living in the United States, and their computer can be showing the website that they're across the world in a part of Asia. This form of security allows people to not worry about whether their private information is at risk while simply browsing the internet. But with the use of these VPN's people still ponder if their information is safe. Like, what if these services aren't doing what they're supposed to be doing and just selling the information of the users to the highest bidder. VPNs are software, and "like any software, all VPNs are technically capable of being hacked. No software is 100% perfect, and VPNs, like any internet-based software, can fall victim to different attacks" (Millares). Even though they add a layer of protection to the user's device, which doesn't mean that it's impossible to be broken into. The vice president of public policy as the National Consumers League, John Breyault said it best "There's no foolproof way to protect your privacy and data security from the government, for example. But there are plenty of basic, important steps people can take to reduce their risk" (Lang). This proves that even though people take a plethora of steps towards preventing attacks, nothing can be done if someone is desperate enough while trying to look for your information online. If not for some of these services provided by companies, then the internet would be a wasteland, where it is only known for people who have illegal intentions, but not everyone has the idea to use one if they think that it will possibly benefit them.
Lastly, people worry about the amount of data that the companies who create the devices that are used to access the internet can see. With each new device, some form of security is added, and taken away to make money for these companies. Apple Co. and Samsung are two of the world's largest companies and have billions of people's information stored on their devices. Although in recent years, Apple has denied giving out information such as "refusing a request by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to help unlock the iPhones of a shooter responsible for an attack in Florida" (Montalbano). But this doesn't mean they can't it means that they won't, even if they're not willing to help the FBI they're still announcing that they're able to if they really wanted too, just like how Apple said, "it has provided "gigabytes of information" to law enforcement related to the case" (Feiner). People know that the companies that create their devices are unethically allowed to view, or release any personal information, but it also means that it's all stored somewhere "securely". This in mind, it means that if a hacker was looking for a way to find information out about someone, all they'd have to do is access the companies' data storages. Causing people to wonder why the companies have so much storage for people's personal data, if they're claiming they're not doing anything with it.
Overall, the idea of living in a perfectly private world will never work due to the complications of the internet, people always give out some form of information that they deem private at some point in their life, from an address for something to be delivered, a phone number, or even online banking information. All of it can be accessed by someone who is looking to destroy another person's life. Even with the use of VPNs not everything is going to be perfect the way you want, same with trusting the government with your information. Someone somewhere and somehow will be able to access your data without your permission, through various ways on the internet. The meaning of privacy has changed repeatedly, now worrying about where it could be at, on a virtual database, and who is able to access it. People want to be able to live their lives without the burden of accidentally spreading personal data to an entity that may have ill intentions for it and with the world always changing, that is only becoming harder to do. Through the uses of security networks, they're only able to do so much that they can help a person protect what they need protected. There needs to be another layer of security to allow people to breathe when browsing the internet. Governments need to restrict access to what they're able to see and do, although laws are in place, which doesn't mean they won't go behind their back and do what they want too. People have seen it before, and that has only put more distrust into the people living in their counties.
Works Cited
Montalbano, Elizabeth. "Apple Denies FBI Request to Unlock Shooter's Iphone-Again." Threatpost English Global Threatpostcom, Threatpost, 14 Jan. 2020, threatpost.com/apple-denies-fbi-request-to-unlock-shooters-iphone-again/151797/.
Team, Cookieyes. "What Are Internet Cookies and What Do They Do?" CookieYes, 16 July 2024, cookieyes.com/blog/internet-cookies/.
Younger, Nick. "The Case of Edward Snowden." National Whistleblower Center, 23 Feb. 2021, whistleblowers.org/news/the-case-of-edward-snowden/.
