Blog 5 - Privacy, Online and Off

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• How do these issues affect you? You friends and family?

Privacy invasion and cyberharassment are huge issues that affect us all, as well as our friends and family. Juan Enriquez talks about how our personal info is getting tracked and exposed through social media and tech. He calls these “electronic tattoos,” and they make it hard to escape being watched. This constant surveillance can make anyone feel like they’re always under a microscope. It’s not just personal anxiety though, our friends and family are affected too. They might deal with the stress of having their privacy compromised or deal with the fallout of having their personal info exposed.

Darieth Chisolm’s story is a powerful example of how devastating cyberharassment can be. Her experience with revenge porn, where explicit photos were shared online without her consent, shows the intense emotional toll that this kind of abuse can take. It doesn’t just hurt the victims; their friends and family often deal with the stress and worry about their own digital safety while trying to support the person affected.

• What should the government be doing about these issues?

The government really needs to step up. When it comes to privacy and surveillance, we need stricter laws to protect our data from being collected and used without our consent. They should also regulate how law enforcement uses surveillance tools to prevent abuse. Christopher Soghoian highlights the importance of encryption and how it helps keep our conversations private. We need laws that support strong encryption to protect our communications from being intercepted. For issues like cyberharassment, there should be solid laws against revenge porn with real penalties for offenders. Plus, there should be more support for victims and stricter rules for online platforms to hold them accountable for what gets shared.

• What can we do to protect ourselves from invasions of our privacy?

On a personal level, we can protect ourselves by being careful about what we share online and keeping our privacy settings up to date. Using encrypted messaging apps, as Soghoian suggests, is also a good way to keep our conversations private. Staying informed about digital privacy and taking steps to secure our personal data is crucial. If someone falls victim to cyberharassment, they should act quickly to protect their digital content, report the abuse, and seek help from organizations that deal with digital abuse. By taking these steps and being aware of what Enriquez, Soghoian, and Chisolm have shared, we can better protect ourselves and support those affected by these issues.