Privacy

These TED talk videos provide a glimpse into the shocking reality we live in today. While I knew some about the complete lack of technological privacy we hold going into the videos, I was stunned by just how far it goes. Virtually nothing we use is untouched. The lack of privacy in our day and age is scary for a few reasons. 

Just by going out and walking around in public we are subjecting ourselves to pictures being taken of us unwantedly. Corporations and likely the government both more than likely have pictures of every student in this class, which enables virtually anything. Those who hold these pictures can quickly match the picture to the name of the person in it and access heaps of information with ease. It is terrifying that everything about me and my life is accessible simply from a picture of me.

Additionally, any piece of technology we use can be monitored by the companies that make them and other companies that buy the "rights" to our information. While some apps do have safeguards against government tapping, the apps themselves and the corporations that own the apps have free range access to anything we store on our computers, phones, etc. Also, the fact that all of our phones include microphones and cameras enables even further breach of privacy. 

Americans should be horrified about the commonality of governmental and corporate intrusion in our day-to-day lives. It would be strange if we were not. At no other point in history has technology been advanced enough to do the things that big corporations and the government can. Our faces are the key to all of our personal information. Our phones and laptops can be looked through and listened to with seemingly the click of a button. This is concerning and no one says a word about it.