Blog 6: Privacy

 As we tend to live our lives and go about our daily routines, we don't think much about privacy or the government. I mean, why would we? Aren't we able to be private in our own homes? Listening to the TED Talks provided in class, I quickly learned that there are times when our information isn't so private. Here are a few takeaways about privacy: 

Our emails are NOT private: 

If you thought your email was private, think again. Whatever email service you use (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo..) the software is storing thousands of records on who you're talking with, what you're talking about, and even where you've been. All of this data lasts forever and cannot be simply erased. Andy Yen explains how the government can access all this data. He explains that even by using encryption on your device, the email servers also hold on to the encryption keys, and at any time, any government can ask the server for the key to your data without you even realizing it.  Through a very complicated process, Andy Yen states that there is a way to ensure some type of privacy by encrypting a pair of keys on your computer and not your server. 

Small details the police can track about you: 

In one of the TED Talks, Catherine Crump explains some shocking details of how the government can gain a detailed portrait of how private citizens interact. Modern technology has caused people to lose their privacy, and now, with all the advancements our technology has made, almost anybody can access your information. Automatic License Plate Readers capture images of every car that passes, and these are usually used for traffic violations or stolen cars, but it has come to light that some police departments are keeping records of every license plate that passes them, which is then put into a mass collection of data about where American citizens have gone. She then explains that one person asked their local police department about the information they had on them from the license plate readers, and the results were shocking. The police department had essentially "tracked" them through photos by knowing where he was going and who he was with, as well as photos of the person's family getting out of the car at their house. Catherine Crump also talks about a device called StingRay, which is when law enforcement can send tracking signals inside your home and identify all the cell phones you have inside the house. They are doing this without our knowledge. The rest of the TED talk goes on to say how there are always cameras and surveillance watching us even when we think we are in "privacy," and this is an issue we aren't aware of. 

After viewing the TED Talk videos, it has opened up my eyes to what I need to keep a watch on, such as making sure I log out of the browser when I'm done on the web or taking extra precautions when accessing important information. The government invading our privacy has affected not only millions of Americans but others around the world. The lack of privacy is an issue that needs more awareness.