Blog Post #5: Privacy

Privacy Isn’t Optional Anymore

    Technology is amazing in a lot of ways: we can talk to anyone instantly, share photos with people across the world, and stay updated on everything from celebrity gossip to major world events. But the more I learn about privacy in the digital world, the more I realize how much control we’ve actually lost. What we post, what we search, what we say near our devices is all being recorded, tracked, stored, and sometimes even sold.

How do these issues affect you? Your friends and family?

    This definitely hits close to home. I’ve had conversations with friends about something totally random, like planning a trip or looking at new sneakers, and then within hours, I see ads for that exact thing on my phone. Coincidence? Not really. It's a reminder that we’re basically living under a digital microscope.

    What’s scarier is how much of this we let happen without even realizing it. Our parents, siblings, and friends are all just as exposed. Between Alexa, Siri, Google, and even apps that seem harmless, our personal data is constantly being collected and shared. One quick scroll through Instagram, one click on a TikTok ad, and you’ve added to your “digital tattoo,” as Juan Enriquez explains in his TED Talk. That digital tattoo can follow us forever; it’s how colleges, jobs, even strangers might judge us.

What should the government be doing about these issues?

    There’s got to be more accountability. Tech giants like Meta (Facebook), Google, and Amazon make billions off our data, and right now, the laws just haven’t caught up. The government needs to step in with stronger regulations that protect people, not just companies. Things like the GDPR in Europe are a great start, but the U.S. needs its own version. We need clear, enforceable rules that limit how much data companies can collect and who they can share it with.

    Also, we need transparency. Companies should be forced to tell us exactly what they’re collecting and how it’s being used — in plain English, not buried in a 20-page privacy policy no one reads.

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

We can’t control everything, but we can definitely make smarter choices. That means:

• Make all your social media accounts private

• Turn off microphone access for apps you don’t trust

• Use tools like two-factor authentication (seriously, this one’s a game-changer)

• Browse in incognito mode and use privacy-focused browsers like DuckDuckGo

• Say “no” to cookies when you visit websites — unless you really need them

    If you're looking for extra protection, there are tools like ProtonMail for secure emails and Signal for encrypted messaging. It’s not about hiding anything shady, it’s about having control over your own life.

    We’re living in a world where privacy isn’t just a personal issue anymore, it’s political, emotional, and even dangerous. The more we let things slide, the more we risk our freedom, identity, and peace of mind. Now is the time to push back.