Privacy

As like most Americans I value my individual privacy and independence. However I also understand that privacy is more of a myth than a reality in today's age. With technology like facial recognition and social media the people of today live their lives through technology without even realizing their entire life is online. The concept of electronic tattoos was mentioned in the TED talk by Juan Enriquez. Electronic tattoos brand the individual and make them immortal connected to the web. From a young age my dad would warn me about the dangers of living your life online. All it takes is one mistake to mess up someone’s life. 

On a larger scale the government is one of the largest forces against the idea of privacy. Since the 2001 patriot act, the United States government and the people of America agreed to give up freedom in exchange for safety. This extends from license cameras and cell towers as depicted in the TED talk by Catherine Crump. With the more technology introduced to keep tabs on us the country grows closer to that of George Orwells 1984 and the movie Minority Report.

Government officials are getting upset that Tech companies are working out of their way to protect clients from the government intercepting their information. This concept of tapping phones and computers brings up an interesting debate on when protection goes too far. Is it worth living lacking freedom in exchange for the chance to find a terrorist. Personally I value my privacy and I agree with Christopher Soghoan that I don’t want to live in a world controlled by the government on the pretense of stopping crime.  

Technology is great and it contributes a lot to the world however it takes away a lot of the rights we are entitled to without us knowing. It is impossible to fully stay private in today's age but through smart choices and use of encryption software we can stay a little more protected.