There once was a time when anything you did, along with any type of file or record, was handwritten, likely lost in a matter of time. Of course, many of us weren’t alive then. Privacy in the digital age has become surprisingly transparent, increasingly so. Now, as rapid technological advancements are being made, the right to privacy is questionable. Many factors of privacy that were usually never questioned are now fading away as time goes on and as technology advances.
The phrase ‘permanent record’ seems to be taking on a whole new meaning nowadays. Anything you’ve done, be it good or bad, tends to make its way onto the Internet. Anything that can be recorded seems to keep itself in existence for long beyond what one person can even remember alone. For people who are aware of their reputation through things they put out on the Internet, this is no means for worrying. However, for people trying to find work in this economy, a rumor documented 20 years ago could serve as validation for rejection.
On social media sites, people assume that any information they post will be kept within their circle of “friends.” Unfortunately, the reality is not as pleasing. On Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg has silently introduced permission for third-party applications to access private information from user accounts. For example, whenever you take a quiz on Facebook, an assumption that is most likely made is that you are just answering a bunch of pointless questions. However, quizzes are applications, which can be made by anyone in the world that has access to Facebook. This permission means that when you take a quiz, you open up your entire profile and anything that your friends can see to whoever made the quiz. This itself should act as a warning to those who share too much of their lives on sites like Facebook.
Evelyn Castillo-Bach, a tech-blogger and entrepreneur wrote, “Facebook is a data collection company where you can also connect with friends. The massive data mining, and the lucrative data broker market will not alter one bit, no matter how many privacy settings a user can manipulate.”
But it doesn’t stop there. Reconciling individual privacy rights in the digital age has made it a struggle to keep rights that used to be standard.
This struggle is becoming even more apparent particularly for online shoppers. Companies can find virtually any piece of information about a consumer that they would ever want to know through the Internet. Whenever you fill out a survey, listing your name, address, or phone number, you send that information to a website where vendors offer hundreds of thousands of names simultaneously, to be placed on mailing lists that companies can use to locate information. Even medical information that you voluntarily filled out on a survey can be found on one of these websites.
Some people argue that this side of privacy isn’t all that bad. People say that when the correct information is shared, it can actually make for a more relevant and meaningful relationship between the company and the consumer. Without information to form an image to your name, you just serve as a couple of words on a list one million words long. However, the majority of people would agree to disagree.
Every day, people all over willingly write down personal information on a website, just for convenience, discounts, and other benefits, even though those benefits may later be outweighed. In this way, online data presents itself as a privacy minefield. The extent to which companies will admit to where your information is going is not given much attention, considering it is probably hidden in the fine print, in the middle of a page people usually scroll through in seconds, not hesitating to click “accept.”
So, is it fair that as technology improves, our rights to privacy dissipate? In the opinion of the general population, no, but sometimes, the advantages of technology are far more beneficial than having more privacy rights. Although this can be the case, sometimes you just have to wonder how much really is too much.
But recently, something from the White House has come up which will probably elate those striving to hold onto their privacy.
President Obama has proposed a ‘Consumer Bill of Rights‘ for online data collection in the digital age. Regarding privacy, he stated, “One thing should be clear – even though we live in a world in which we share personal information more freely than in the past, we must reject the conclusion that privacy is an outmoded value. It has been at the heart of our democracy from its inception, and we need it now more than ever.”
The bill involves six areas of online data management. The first, regarding transparency, states that “companies’ policies regarding security should be easily understandable to consumers.” The next area covered is respect for context, stating that “consumers should expect that companies will collect, use, and disclose personal data in ways that are consistent with the context in which consumers provide such data.” Next comes security. This section says that “personal data should be handled securely and responsibly.” The point regarding access and accuracy gives consumers the right to access and correct personal data. Under the topic of focused collection, “data should be held within ‘reasonable limits.'” Finally, covering the subject of accountability, the bill states that “consumers have the right to have their personal data handled by companies and organizations that adhere to the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights.”
With this Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights, privacy rights in the digital age are being recovered. Instead of having rights fade along with technological advancements, privacy is now becoming another advantage of technology, allowing people to reclaim rights lost in the last few years.
Students at Hewitt can take this as a warning and as a turn of luck. Most students in the upper school, as well as a substantial portion of students in the middle school, have Facebook accounts. The growing privacy issues on Facebook could potentially shift one’s opinions on how the site is run. However, this Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights signifies the government understanding these issues and wanting to improve.