Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
privacy in our society
what privacy means to me essay'
Censorship in film and TV introduction
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: privacy in our society
The topic of personal privacy and the possibility of censorship tends to be one of the “red buttons” of conversations. There have been movies, such as The Truman Show and Eagle Eye, that have presented extreme versions of government and large industry conspiracies, which have caused many to laugh off any idea of such occurrences in real life, and claim that those kinds of things only happen in movies. But many would be surprised to discover that many of the events in the fictional movies are actually occurring today. The government has no right to any information about a citizen unless that citizen specifically chooses to give the information, and it must only be used for the purpose specified by the individual because such a leak infringes upon personal safety and privacy and opens the door to long-term consequences.
Firstly, unsecured smartphones and personal computers are potential threats to the safety of both the citizen and his or her digital device. An individual’s personal safety can be easily at risk. As “Cybercriminals” reports:
Many active Facebook users take risks that can lead to burglaries, identity theft, and stalking. Fifteen percent had posted their current location or travel plans, 34 percent their full birth date, and 21 percent of those with children at home had posted those children's names and photos. Moreover, roughly one in five hadn't used Facebook's privacy controls, making them more vulnerable to threats (Cybercriminals).
Most people are not even aware of how much personal information they are sharing online, and with whom they are sharing it with. It is all too easy to forget who one has befriended on Facebook, and who he or she has not, as well as which friends can and cannot be truly trusted. This i...
... middle of paper ...
...pportunities, and be collected by the government for future uses that no one has consented to. However, with the adequate awareness and taking proper precautions, one can remain unscathed and under the radar of the government, large corporations, and cyber villains.
Works Cited
"Cybercriminals Use Personal Information on Social Networking Websites to Commit Crimes."
Cybercrime. Ed. Louise I. Gerdes. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013.
Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Online Exposure: Social Networks, Mobile Phones, and Scams Can Threaten Your Security." Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 15 Aug. 2013.
Lee, Timothy B. "Smartphones Have Privacy Risks." Smartphones. Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit:
Greenhaven Press, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "My Smartphone, the Spy: Protecting Privacy in a Mobile Age." 2012. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 15 Aug. 2013.
Your walking through a crowded room and all of a sudden you are blinded by a flashing light directed towards YOU. As your vision comes back from being blinded, you see someone you’ve never seen before, taking your picture. They now have access to your personal information, where you live, where you work, or even worse your social security number. Is your privacy at risk, you ask? Umm… yeah it it. In today’s society, new technology is being discovered and introduced to the general public every second. Like Big Brother in Orwell’s 1984, our government knows our every move. Our government today has similarities to Orwell’s totalitarian government.
With social media websites being the main hub of personal information, advertisers are consistently monitoring our social media activity, having the ability to look into our personal information. In the article "Advertising and Consumer Privacy: Old Practices and New Challenges." by Justine Rapp states, “Fueled by advances in capabilities and interconnectedness of computer based technology, advertisers are able to collect and assimilate information on consumers like no other time history” (51). Facebook has become the number one, social media website around the globe. It is the most popular website used by personal and business users in today’s society. In the article “Using Social Media to Reach Consumers: A Content Analysis of Official Facebook Pages” by Amy Parsons states, “As of July 2011, the social network site Facebook claims to have over 750 million members and in the terms of activity.” (27), making it easy to meet and connect with others. Facebook is considered the “hot spot” for online social activity, however, it exposes personal information about its consumers to
The United States government is up to its ears in the personal information it has collected from its citizens. Americans are becoming increasingly “aware of these slowly eroding walls of privacy,”(Hirsh) and more than half polled admit concern “about the overall accumulation of personal information about them “by […] law enforcement, government, […] and other groups,” though “they accept it as an unavoidable modern phenomenon” (Hirsh). The question is, how far is too far to trust the government with the collection, proper storage, and usage of this information? Studies show that “Americans believe that business, government, social-media sites, and other groups are accessing their most personal information without their consent” (Hirsh). People should be given the ability to admit or deny access to their personal information. The government does not have a right to use whatever information it wants for any purpose it wishes. Michael Hayden, once the NSA director for seven years, says, “Even I recognize that it's one thing for Google to know too much, because they aren't putting me in jail. It's another thing for government, because they can coerce me” (Hirsh). The United States government's ability to collect information about its citizens and residents should be restricted by what kind of information it can take, how it can acquire it, and what it can use it for.
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...
Different people, cultures, and nations have a wide variety of expectations about how much privacy is entitled to or what constitutes an invasion of privacy. Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves or information. Personal privacy has been declining in the past year which is caused by today’s technological society. With the latest technology such as face scanners, data collecting, and highly advanced software’s, privacy can be compromised, which is exactly what is being done today and it is unconstitutionally intrusive.
Ever since day one, people have been developing and creating all sorts of new methods and machines to help better everyday life in one way or another. Who can forget the invention of the ever-wondrous telephone? And we can’t forget how innovative and life-changing computers have been. However, while all machines have their positive uses, there can also be many negatives depending on how one uses said machines, wiretapping in on phone conversations, using spyware to quietly survey every keystroke and click one makes, and many other methods of unwanted snooping have arisen. As a result, laws have been made to make sure these negative uses are not taken advantage of by anyone. But because of how often technology changes, how can it be known that the laws made so long ago can still uphold proper justice? With the laws that are in place now, it’s a constant struggle to balance security with privacy. Privacy laws should be revised completely in order to create a better happy medium between security and privacy. A common misconception of most is that a happy medium of privacy and security is impossible to achieve. However, as well-said by Daniel Solove, “Protecting privacy doesn’t need to mean scuttling a security measure. Most people concerned about the privacy implications of government surveillance aren’t arguing for no[sic] surveillance and absolute privacy. They’d be fine giving up some privacy as long as appropriate controls, limitations, oversight and accountability mechanisms were in place.”(“5 Myths about Privacy”)
When using Facebook, users are able to perform many different tasks while connecting with various individuals. Some of the functions and applications that are available for users include: the ability to create a profile, become friends with individuals, send private messages, post comments on friend’s walls, and share pictures on your profile page. Along with these functions, there must be a level of protection that guards the Facebook account holders. However, according to Facebook’s privacy principles, the network states that “People should have the freedom to share whatever information they want, in any medium or any format, and have ...
Every day, the typical person in the United States can be found with some model of smartphone. Every day those people trust that their information is safely secured through usernames and passwords. The thing they don’t understand is that there is always more than one way to access information, even extremely sensitive information. Though policies have been placed to prevent invasion of privacy, current technology is bringing us closer to the world of 1984. Phones are trackers, security cameras can be found almost everywhere, and Congress passed the Patriot Act allowing for investigation of private information without a court order. Technology is truly bringing us frightfully close to the dystopia of George Orwell’s 1984.
The world erupted in outrage following revelations by Edward Snowden regarding the extent of surveillance perform by the National Security Agency. Privacy becomes one of the hottest topic of 2013 and was chosen by the world’s most popular online dictionary, Dictionary.com, as the Word of the Year. However, the government is not the only one that conduct data gathering and surveillance. Employers often monitor their employees, and businesses collect data on theirs customer. The morality of these practices is a topic that generates heated debate.
Facebook is an online social networking service and became very popular within years. It was found on the 4th of February in 2004. As of now you must be 13 years of age to register and make an account. Facebook has been updating almost every year to make improvements such as the layout of your wall, the layout of your messages, and most importantly your privacy and security of your account. In 2010, the security team of Facebook has begun to expand its efforts to reduce risks to users’ privacy, and it was successful but still leaves some privacy concerns behind.
The 21st century has brought a lot of modern ideas, innovations, and technology. One of these is social media. The invention of Facebook has completely changed the way we communicate with one another. Instant messaging, photo sharing, and joining online groups have created a way for families and friends to connect. Some argue that Facebook is the greatest invention however, while it is seemingly harmless, Facebook has created an invasion of privacy. The accessibility of Facebook and its widespread use has created privacy problems for users, teens, and interviewees by allowing easy control to viewers.
Many people use social networks everyday as a way to share their personal lives with their friends or followers. Many people are culprits of oversharing personal information on social networks. Oversharing is when one reveals an unacceptable amount of information which may or may not be inappropriate. Also what most seem to fail to remember is that whatever is posted online, stays online forever. The main social networks that are victims of oversharing include Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. “Communities are outraged by the personal information posted by young people online and colleges keep track of student activities on and off campus. The posting of personal information by teens and students has consequences” (Barnes 1). While oversharing
With more than 500 million active users, the site is a warehouse of personal information. Personal profiles allow users to provide information about their name, age, hometown, relationship status, activities, job, school, and more. They can connect with the others’ profiles and become ”friends”. Combined with a profile picture, you can pretty much learn anything you want to know about somebody over Facebook (should they choose to provide the information). However, what many users fail to realize is that in most cases this information is not only available to their “friends”. Though users can change their privacy settings to limit with whom their profile information is shared, the site gathers and stores more than most of us want to acknowledge. For instance, the Facebook “Like” butto...
Kim, Betsy. "How SmartPhones Invade Your Privacy [Infographic]." Legal News Lawyers.com. N.p., 4 June 2013. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.
Upon the advent of social networking websites, an entirely new level of self-expression was formed. People instantly share updates on their lives with family, friends, and colleagues, reconnecting with those they had lost contact with. Social networking has now become an integral part of contemporary society – a modern analog for catching up with friends over slow, conventional methods or finding upcoming events in newspapers. However, along with this freedom of information, the danger of revealing too much personal information has become apparent. As such, online social media poses an imminent danger to society as it blurs the line between private and public information, creating an obsession with sharing one’s personal life online.