Online Privacy and Why it's Dead

Why Online Privacy is Dead'

Photo Credit to Smart Cities World

In 2019 America, the concept of online privacy is almost entirely a thing of the past. Due to enhanced surveillance technologies, government and third-party spying, and everyone having a phone in their pocket; one could fairly easily track a person, then know their hobbies, interests, family records, and web search history. 

With the rise in popularity of social media apps such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat, users are willingly giving over their private information in the name of finding like-minded people. This is vastly wrong because these social media companies do not have secure servers, and they can be either purged or hacked by opposing governments or groups with ease. As a result, millions of profiles have had their private information leaked out into the public sphere. 

Government spying on civilians is also to blame for the death of online privacy. Since the passage of the US PATRIOT Act after 9/11, the NSA, CIA, and FBI have been among a group of agencies tasked with gathering information on American citizens in the name of public safety. When teamed up with companies such as Facebook, the government's knowledge on average citizens is alarmingly high. 

Is online privacy fully dead? For the most art, due to the ability to track an individual's online footprint and IP Address. While there has yet to be any widespread catastrophic misuse of this information by the government, it is not their right to have private information on the citizenry. If an individual were attempting to hide from the government, their efforts would be in vain due to the tracking power available through the internet. 

Photo Credit to Smart Cities World. 

Fake News vs. Disinformation/Misinformation

Fake News vs. Disinformation/Misinformation

Photo Credit to David Kleinschuster

What exactly is the difference between the more-contemporary term 'fake news' and traditional disinformation or misinformation? 

'Fake news' as popularized by candidate-turned-president Donald J. Trump, most commonly refers to "fabricated news with no basis in fact but is being presented as factually accurate." Fake news can be found in traditional media sources such as television, print, or radio, or can be on social media or websites dedicated to spreading lies. Fake news is almost always politically-fueled, trying to benefit one person, party, or group at the expense of another. 

Disinformation is defined as 'false information which is intended to mislead, especially propaganda issued by a government organization to a rival power or the media." People who spread disinformation do so intentionally, as they are unethically reporting lies about an opposing person, party, or group. 'Fake news' by definition does fall under disinformation, as it deceives public opinion with warped facts and figures. 

Where misinformation differs from disinformation is in the impetus or reasoning behind the action. Misinformation is still spreading false news, but the inaccuracies are recorded due to error or misunderstanding. While misinformation is just as bad as disinformation or 'fake news,' it is not done under malice but rather through carelessness and incompetence. 

All three aforementioned forms of reporting are all unethical media practices of spreading lies. Any reporter must be 100% sure that their facts, figures, statistics, or other material is absolutely truthful before either broadcasting or publishing. In today's hyper-partisan America however, these malpractices run rampant among mainstream media, as both the left and the right actively report on lies about each other. 

Link to this PowerPoint Presentation.