Internet Privacy: Are We Safe? (Essay)

Ever wonder if your Internet activity is being tracked? The answer is yes (I mean an absolute yes here in the United States). So technically, in America, you no longer have privacy on the Internet. The following essay was a half-research-half-argumentative essay, about Internet privacy in America, I wrote for my English class last semester. This essay follows the MLA format, a common structure of organizing an academic writing.

  In the modern day, the Internet has become a crucial part in the life of mankind. Our everyday lives have become so much more convenient because of the endless possibilities of things we can do on the Internet. Thanks to this technology, we can chat in a group message with friends, apply for a job, buy plane tickets, pay credit card bills, watch a how-to video, share a photo of a Starbucks drink, or Google the symptoms of Ebola. The Internet has become the greatest achievement in the domain of communication, entertainment, health and education.

  We can consider the Internet to be such an outstanding invention, but it also comes with its drawbacks. Considering the fact that every single piece of information and the activities of each individual are stored in the cloud, the question of Internet privacy has been raised. People are wondering who else can see their photos, their search history or even their bank account information. With the recent Apple iCloud security breach of many celebrities' photographs, most people have started to panic and suspect that storing their data in an abstract concept is untrustworthy. Some people may think that it is not a big deal because they can just stop using the Internet. However, considering the fact that we are living in a society where using the Internet is inevitable, we should pay close attention to our safety on the Internet.

  What users do not realize when they use a service provided by a social networking site is how vulnerable their personal data can become. In the article “Online Privacy: Why You Should Care,” author Don Jacob uses a YouTube video — by comedian/YouTuber Jack Vale — to prove how easy it is for a regular person to see someone's data. Vale has uploaded many prank videos related to Internet privacy. In the video, he and his friends use Instagram — “a social media site where users take and edit photos and then share them” (Jacob) — to see all the photographs that people have uploaded. Vale then presumed to ask them questions and talked about things he had found out from their accounts. All of them were surprised when an unknown person noticed small details about their personal lives. How would you feel if a complete stranger knew everything about you based on what you have shared on the Internet?

  Additionally, everyone has been suspicious about the government exploitation of our privacy. In the same article, Jacob has revealed that this proposition is true. The government has been collecting our data all along; to make things worse, the government even has the right to do so. He explains that “The end user agreements are those long articles, usually 30-80 pages long and are essentially contracts. No one ever takes time to read them. ” In the Term of Agreement, it is clearly stated that users' activities are under the surveillance of the government. Apparently, users voluntarily give their personal information to the government when they accept this agreement (Jacob).

 However, despite all the concerns about the vulnerability of our data, there are steps that we can take to ensure our Internet privacy safety. Privacyrights.org has posted multiple articles to help consumers understand their right of privacy and ways to protect themselves on the Internet. In the article “Social Networking Privacy: How to be Safe, Secure and Social,” the author states that users of social networks can still mask their real identities. The author adds, “This may be done via anonymity (providing no name at all) or pseudonymity (providing a false name)” (sec.6). Hence, even if their information is leaked or stolen, their identities remain anonymous. Simultaneously, users should take advantage of the settings on the social networking sites. In the privacy settings, they can authorize who can see their information and how much content is revealed. It is advised that their information is restricted to only those who they can trust instead of the public (sec.10).

  In addition, there are hackers out there who are trying to trick people into giving them their information, including bank account number or social security number. This can be done by sending spam mails or asking users to fill in a form on their websites. Therefore, anti-virus should be installed in each computer and Firewall should always be turned on. Most importantly, everyone has to make smart decisions when it comes to deciding whether the websites that they are using can be trusted. In regards to using the Internet, we want our information to be safe from the public's eyes. It is unethical and illegal for hackers or strangers to be able to access our personal data. However, the government has a reason to have our privacy in their hands.

  From our perspective, we are afraid that our personal information may be revealed to the public. The same thing also applies to hackers and terrorists. They are also trying their best to keep their identity anonymous. In the article “Cyber Terrorism: Are We Barking At The Wrong Tree?”, author Gabriel Weimann talks about how the internet has been helping terrorists succeed in causing unlawful activities. According to the article, since September 11, 2001, al Qaeda has festooned its websites with a string of announcements of an impending "large attack" on U.S. targets. As a result, the U.S. government spent $4.5 billion to improve the Internet security and make sure that there will be no more terrorist attacks in the future (42). If the government had been tracking all kind of suspicious activities all over the internet, it is possible that 9/11 would not have happened. Right now, the government is trying to gain access to all terrorists. Thus, we have to understand that, to track them down, the authorities have to monitor every individual's activity on the Internet. This also means that they need to invade your privacy to make sure that you are not having bad intentions toward the country. It is better to be safe than sorry. Therefore, if letting the government getting access to your Internet activity can help prevent terrorist attacks, you are taking part in saving people's lives, your own and your family's.

  It is true that our online privacy is easily intruded on, but you can prevent this by not sharing your data on the Internet. The government, on the other hand, would not have time to look at the selfie that you took at the gym or the food you had for lunch. They are only trying to track suspicious activities that could potentially cause mayhem. Hence, if you decide to tweet about planting a bomb somewhere with a hashtag YOLO, you are going to be in a big trouble. Overall, as long as you are not doing anything illegal and recklessly sharing unnecessary information, you are safe on the Internet.

Works Cited

Jacob, Don. "Online Privacy: Why You Should Care." Language In India 14.1 (2014): 945- 953. Communication & Mass Media Complete. Web. 3 Nov. 2014.

"Securing Your Computer to Maintain Your Privacy" Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. n.p., n.d. Web. 03 Nov. 2014.

Vale, Jack. "SOCIAL MEDIA EXPERIMENT." Online video clip. YouTube. YouTube, 18 Nov. 2013. Web. 03 Nov. 2014.

Weimann, Gabriel. "Cyber Terrorism: Are We Barking At The Wrong Tree?." Harvard Asia Pacific Review 9.2 (2008): 41-46. Academic Search Complete. Web. 2 Dec. 2014.