Privacy, Online & Off Ted Talks

Friday, February 7, 2025

Privacy, Online & Off Ted Talks

  In this day and age, everything is public. Your private Instagram account is public, the photo that you deleted is public, and the phone call that was just between you and your Mom is public. Using technology is all fun and games until our privacy is invaded. 

An issue that directly affects me is the electronic tattoos talked about in the first TedTalk video. I grew up in a generation where social media was the center of society. Unlike my parents who had to learn how to use cell phones, I was very used to a screen in my hand at a young age. I love using social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and X (Twitter).

I enjoy sharing videos on these platforms and watching my peers do the same. But this enjoyment only lasts so long when you realize all of the information that you have ever posted is out there for everyone to see. A tattoo is a piece of art on someone's body for the whole world to see. Electronic tattoos are the same thing. They are digital pieces of information for the publics eye.

With iPhone facial recognition people's contact names will appear when their face is shown in pictures. But what most people don't know is that strangers' names can appear in pictures too. These TED Talks made me think twice about sharing videos and even taking pictures. 

One way that we can protect ourselves from an invasion of privacy is by using encryption communication tools. The third video talked about how Silicon Valley Companies have built strong encryption technology into their communication products. IPhone messages cannot easily be wiretapped and WhatsApp has built a strong encryption technology into its product. We have to encourage each other to use encryption communication tools that cannot be easily wiretapped like imessages, FaceTime, and WhatsApp to ensure our safety.

In the last Ted Talk video, Darieth Chisolm mentions a social media term known as "revenge porn". This is when a controlling ex-partner uses their phone, laptop, or any other technology device to post inappropriate photos, videos, and other explicit content without consent. One and ten women under the age of 30 are affected by revenge porn. As this is an alarming number to the average person, there is no law or federal bill criminalizing revenge porn. The government needs to make a law to protect cyber civil rights as they are at stake. This way individuals can get justice and the criminals can be put away.

Having to think about our government or even other governments having a hold of our personal information is a scary thought. Unfortunately, this is our reality in this age. NSA is requiring police departments to retrieve sensitive information about us. Because of this, the governemnt can create a map of patterns of how citizens interact. That is why we need to use safety tools, always double-check what we are posting, and pay close attention to who we spend our time around. While it all may seem like common sense, these small steps ensure the safety of one's life.