We currently live with an internet that seems to make it seem impossible to feel like you have any control over your privacy. Basically every social media app collects data on you so you can be advertised to, large companies have been formed for the sole purpose of collecting and selling your data.
Why should I care?
First, why should you even care? Most people donât really know the importance of privacy.
Safety
In countries with oppressive governments, privacy can mean life or death. Journalists and reporters rely on privacy to keep them safe. People who are marginalized or oppressed groups like LGBTQ+ need privacy to live a decent life.
There are also people with the intention to harm. Stalkers, robbers, enemies, and anyone with the intention to harm you in some way can easily turn to the internet for answers. The more information about you on the internet, the bigger the threat malicious actors can become.
Reputation and social life
Privacy lets us manage our reputations. Say for example, something harmless like the fact that I enjoy reading romance manhwa on my free time. Personally, I am okay sharing this but there are bound to be people out there who find reading romance manhwa embarrassing. Maybe youâre a total nerd or youâre really into a niche game and it really isnât something you want to shout out into the world (Though, I would argue that people expressing interests like these make the world a more interesting place).
With privacy, we are also able to create social boundaries. No one should be entitled to know what I do every day. The idea of strangers knowing my location, age, name, and interests is somewhat uncomfortable. The idea of strangers knowing every little thing about be is downright terrifying. When we have privacy, we have control over who knows what. Who we open up to and share interests with can only be a controlled process if we have privacy.
Freedom
We need privacy for freedom of thought. Imagine you have someone looking over your shoulder every day judging what you do. They see what you write, what you read, and what you do. Now imagine hundreds or even thousands of people doing the same thing. This would be uncomfortable to most, I presume. In such a situation, many of us would act much differently than if we were alone.
Companies and Advertising
Personally, I just donât like the idea that large companies have a massive eyeball looking at everything I send, receive, and browse on the internet. I also donât like the idea that I am just some commodity or consumer that should be shown advertisements for arguably useless stuff.
Control
Being able to control your own data is something I believe everyone should have a right to. I should know where my data goes, how its used, and I should have the option to produce less data.
Conclusion
With all this being said, there is much more to privacy than what Iâve yapped up here. What I really want is for people to find realistic solutions to maintaining their privacy while not sacrificing too much in terms of life.
The simplest way to deal with all of these issues is to just unplug and never use the internet again. But this is extreme! The vast majority of us rely on computers and the internet to live. We text, email, message, and call people to communicate. We use search engines to find answers and knowledge. We use it to get paid, access our financials, even pay our taxes. We have gotten way too far into the internet to just turn back and expect to live normally at this point.
So, now we have to think for ourselves and be smart about where our data goes. What are you comfortable with? After all, privacy is about you.