Digital Privacy
Digital privacy is the protection of a persons data that is created or transmitted while online via a mobile or desktop device. It is important that digital information is private to each user. It will likely include data such as phone numbers, emails, and browser history. Having this data leaked or public could be detrimental to a persons identity and lead to it being stolen. I think having your identity stolen is the most blatant form of private information becoming public. While it is more valuable information like social security numbers and credit cards number it is still the same idea of having private information stolen. Having this information stolen can lead to losing money and getting in trouble with the law until it is all sorted out and sometimes the fiscal aspect does not get sorted out at all.
Are Algorithms Good?
Algorithms are an extremely complex concept, where positive and negative outcomes are decided by a myriad of different factors. From a economic and scientific stand point algorithms are a great addition and will be aid in finding cures and other discoveries. I will help put organize information into patterns that would take longer to sort or would be harder to identify without. From a social class standpoint it will create a bigger divide in the meritocratic system as well as making it harder for people to move to a higher division upon that structure.
Easy Steps to Help Protect Your Privacy…
It may be surprising to some how many things to look out for and how easy the steps are, some of the top ones follow… (NPR 2020)
- Good Security Hygiene: Having strong passwords, not saving certain passwords on devices, and have good authenticators.
- Be Aware of Phishing: Phone calls, texts or emails that will attempt to have you give out information and passwords.
- Protect What Matters Most: Think about what would happen if other people had access to that account and if the answer is an unsavory one then you likely need to be very protective of it.
Case Study: Amazon and Orwell
In 2009 Amazon removed 1984 and Animal Farm by George Orwell, overnight. There have been other instances with this occurring in books such as some Harry Potter books, The Fountainhead, and The Virtue among many other titles. This happening shows the power of a mass distributor of goods such as Amazon can simply choose what to sell and what not to sell without any warning or good reason. The link to the full article is here.
