In all honesty, the privacy-related TED Talks this week made me uneasy—not in a dramatic sense, but in a very real, everyday way. Although we typically consider privacy infractions to be severe, such as identity theft or hacking, the discussions demonstrated how much of our personal data is continuously gathered, examined, and profited from without our conscious awareness. It goes beyond what we post. It concerns our clicks, our movements, our interactions, and even the duration of our pauses. That information creates a profile of us that may be exploited to shape our thoughts, our purchases, and even what we see.
The way businesses like Facebook (now a part of Meta Platforms) collect vast amounts of personal data was one of the main concerns brought up. We are feeding algorithms even when we believe we are simply scrolling for fun. The fact that this data is shared, sold, and occasionally made public really caught my attention. You can't truly take back your information once it's out there, and data breaches happen frequently. That's the reason it's so scary. It is both permanent and imperceptible.
My friends and I are undoubtedly impacted by these problems. Since we grew up online, sharing seems natural to us. It's commonplace to post whereabouts, tag friends, and use applications that monitor everything from spending to sleep. However, the conversations helped me to see how exposed we are. Even if my family doesn't use the internet as much, they still use streaming services, smartphones, and online banking, all of which gather data. Privacy is a problem that affects everyone, not just "young people on social media."
I believe that more should be done by the government to control how businesses gather and use data. Laws pertaining to consent should be more transparent, and businesses that exploit information should face harsher sanctions. The majority of consumers simply click "agree" with lengthy and unclear privacy regulations at the moment. Meaningful consent shouldn't include that.
However, we also bear accountability. We can use two-factor authentication, create stronger passwords, limit what we post, change privacy settings, and be more selective about the apps we download. Since technology is here to stay, it is imperative that we understand how to defend ourselves. Not only did these TED Talks educate me, but they also increased my awareness of the need to actively protect privacy in the digital age.
I believe that more should be done by the government to control how businesses gather and use data. Laws pertaining to consent should be more transparent, and businesses that exploit information should face harsher sanctions. The majority of consumers simply click "agree" with lengthy and unclear privacy regulations at the moment. Meaningful consent shouldn't include that.
However, we also bear accountability. We can use two-factor authentication, create stronger passwords, limit what we post, change privacy settings, and be more selective about the apps we download. Since technology is here to stay, it is imperative that we understand how to defend ourselves. Not only did these TED Talks educate me, but they also increased my awareness of the need to actively protect privacy in the digital age.
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