Security: freedom from risk or danger; precautions made to protect against crime, attack, sabotage, etc.
Freedom: the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement; personal liberty
The perfect balance between security and freedom is often hard to define and still hasn't been perfected. Both definitions seem like beneficial components of everyday life; however, some people find that too much of either is a bad thing. I find it interesting that in the definition of security, the word 'freedom' is used. That shows that they are tied together all of the way from definition to application.
When there is a security threat, freedoms slowly disappear. Once someone realizes that their rights are being taken away, they make a scene and the scale shifts again. Victor Davis Hanson, in a lecture, spoke on this balance and said that the two are necessarily intertwined and exist in a 'symbiosis.' Obviously, no one wants to be in any sort of danger, but most people believe that they are entitled to certain rights and freedoms. Unfortunately, many efforts to balance these two important facets of life are convoluted and don't work out. Even though a common statement is 'people who aren't guilty of any crime don't have anything to worry about,' this is obviously not always the case. As shown in the novel Little Brother with Marcus and his friends and multiple times in real life, innocent people are detained or arrested and sometimes even killed after being accused of crimes they didn't commit.
In Little Brother, after the bridge is bombed security increases greatly. Schools have cameras in every classroom, subway riding patterns are analyzed, and police can track where everyone goes, what they buy, and can stop people for questioning just based on 'odd' patterns of computer usage or travel. Most of the characters in the novel are horrified by this and see it as a heinous violation of their freedom, instead of feeling comforted by the new security techniques. At the end of the novel, Marcus is captured again and is taken back to "Treasure Island" where he is briefly tortured with waterboarding, where he feels like he is drowning. No one wants to have innocent children tortured just in the name of greater security.
This article from the Family Security Matters website lists three major battle points between security and freedom that have come into existence just in the last few decades: The PATRIOT Act, Intelligence, and Free Speech issues. The PATRIOT Act and new technology both increase the ability of government to watch over their citizens, pry more into their daily lives, and search through private records such as telephone calls, emails, and medical history. Obviously, free speech problems connect back to the First Amendment; the Constitution supposedly protects a citizen's rights to say whatever they want, but sometime's that can be considered dangerous and a threat to national security.
The balance between security and freedom has to be something that strengthens both without hurting the everyday person. They both have to exist, but it has to be done in a way that allows citizens to enjoy their rights as well as keeps them safe. I believe that people need to be able to say what they want and their private records should stay safe, but the government should develop some less intrusive way to monitor what is going on in the country to protect it from attack.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Thanks...
I know it can be hard to motivate yourself the last week of school. I truly appreciate that you are taking the time to complete this assignment with some integrity. I just want to make sure that you realize I notice...
How and to What Extent has Technology Impacted Privacy?
There is a common belief that technology has been instrumental to the loss of privacy and security. Although biometrics and anti-virus programs shield individuals from invasions of personal information, cyber crimes and social networking may threaten these zones of privacy. We may ask, however, to what extent does protecting the very security, we Americans cherish, diminish individual privacy?
Anti-spyware and anti-virus programs are godsends to many Internet users. They block viruses from disrupting hardwares, prevent hackers from stealing private identities, and scan for any current threats. Anti-phishing softwares and encryption keys protect passwords from being stolen. In Cory Doctrow's Little Brother, Marcus Yallow used IMParanoid messaging, $SYS$Firefox, and TOR to make himself an "invisible man". The novel also describes real-life measures typically used to prevent people from accessing restricted areas. Fingerprint and voice recognition are biometric measures that enhance one's privacy. Its is very difficult to infringe on identities unique to one person. Throughout Little Brother, however, technology was abused by DHS agents and strict schools to the point of denying Marcus' implied rights to privacy for the sake of national security. Gait-cams kept track of "who's where and when". Thus, technology has severe limitations on protecting individual privacy (especially when in conflict with the question of national security).
As innovative technologies continue to emerge, our society has evolved to accommodate these changes. Almost anyone can track your daily activities via Facebook and Twitter, making you more vulnerable to cyber attacks/ hacks. Facebook encourages the sharing of private information on a personal profile or homepage. In the past, default settings created maximum exposure of the user's information onto the social networking website. From public internet users to identity theives, have gained new media in which victim's identity and personal information are stolen: “Internet mobbing” and “phishing”. Recently, a form of Internet witch hunt is becoming prevalent in South East Asian countries, where social norms are strict yet perceived as under threat. The online human search involves multiple people using e-mails, blogs, YouTube to track down personal information (even the whereabout) of someone percieved as a social miscreant. In 2008, thousands of Chinese web surfers and chat rooms launched an online manhunt for the father of Guo Wenjun, an Olympic gold medalist, who reportedly abandoned his daughter. A South Korean woman quickly became the center of online harassment and death threats after a subway commuter posted a picture of her refusing to clean up after her dog. Internet mobbing has created punishments that are vastly out of proportion with the original transgressions; identities and personal details have been posted for all to see, making victims vulnerable to fraud and identity theft. Phishing scams, used by cyber criminals, also threaten an individual's financial privacy. These identity theives send e-mails containing viruses or questions asking for Social Security and credit card numbers. By infiltrating the IRS online systems, some cyber criminals hijack tax payers' identities and redirect thousands of dollars in anticipated refunds.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18080418/ns/nbcnightlynews-nbc_news_investigates/t/identity-thieves-tap-lucrative-tax-fraud/
http://www.mindmeister.com/fr/51893479/to-what-extent-has-technology-had-an-impact-on-both-privacy-and-security-in-your-countryj
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=international-report-technology
Anti-spyware and anti-virus programs are godsends to many Internet users. They block viruses from disrupting hardwares, prevent hackers from stealing private identities, and scan for any current threats. Anti-phishing softwares and encryption keys protect passwords from being stolen. In Cory Doctrow's Little Brother, Marcus Yallow used IMParanoid messaging, $SYS$Firefox, and TOR to make himself an "invisible man". The novel also describes real-life measures typically used to prevent people from accessing restricted areas. Fingerprint and voice recognition are biometric measures that enhance one's privacy. Its is very difficult to infringe on identities unique to one person. Throughout Little Brother, however, technology was abused by DHS agents and strict schools to the point of denying Marcus' implied rights to privacy for the sake of national security. Gait-cams kept track of "who's where and when". Thus, technology has severe limitations on protecting individual privacy (especially when in conflict with the question of national security).
As innovative technologies continue to emerge, our society has evolved to accommodate these changes. Almost anyone can track your daily activities via Facebook and Twitter, making you more vulnerable to cyber attacks/ hacks. Facebook encourages the sharing of private information on a personal profile or homepage. In the past, default settings created maximum exposure of the user's information onto the social networking website. From public internet users to identity theives, have gained new media in which victim's identity and personal information are stolen: “Internet mobbing” and “phishing”. Recently, a form of Internet witch hunt is becoming prevalent in South East Asian countries, where social norms are strict yet perceived as under threat. The online human search involves multiple people using e-mails, blogs, YouTube to track down personal information (even the whereabout) of someone percieved as a social miscreant. In 2008, thousands of Chinese web surfers and chat rooms launched an online manhunt for the father of Guo Wenjun, an Olympic gold medalist, who reportedly abandoned his daughter. A South Korean woman quickly became the center of online harassment and death threats after a subway commuter posted a picture of her refusing to clean up after her dog. Internet mobbing has created punishments that are vastly out of proportion with the original transgressions; identities and personal details have been posted for all to see, making victims vulnerable to fraud and identity theft. Phishing scams, used by cyber criminals, also threaten an individual's financial privacy. These identity theives send e-mails containing viruses or questions asking for Social Security and credit card numbers. By infiltrating the IRS online systems, some cyber criminals hijack tax payers' identities and redirect thousands of dollars in anticipated refunds.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18080418/ns/nbcnightlynews-nbc_news_investigates/t/identity-thieves-tap-lucrative-tax-fraud/
http://www.mindmeister.com/fr/51893479/to-what-extent-has-technology-had-an-impact-on-both-privacy-and-security-in-your-countryj
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=international-report-technology
How can privacy be regulated?
Regulating privacy online is essential in keeping one safe when using social networking sites. Many articles suggest that a majority of children use the internet frequently and do not not know how to protect themselves online and parents are increasingly having a harder time regualting their children's internet use. Many websites have begun offering insight on how to regualte one's privacy when using the web and social networking sites. These sites talk about how even browsing the web can be risky if you are not careful enough. Many search engines offer options for securing your information while you are searching the web. Cory Doctrow's Little Brother offers insight on how many do not how to protect themselves online and how risky the online world can be. For example, Marcus had to take many precautions in order to keep his identity a secret from the government, including having a key signing party. Also, at the end of the story Marcus shows the middle school kids how to protect themselves when going online. Regulating privacy also comes into the story when the Department of Homeland Security takes away the privacy many after the events of a tragic bombing.
Privacy can also be regulated through the government, however many laws/provisions/amendments stand in the way of allowing them to have the ability to regulate one's privacy online. Even the fourth amendment, talks about the privacy of the American people and the government cannot interfere with someone's privacy without probable cause. The novel Little Brother deals with the American government taking away the people's constitutional rights given to them in the fourth amendment and how Marcus continually fights for the rights of the American people, by referring to the content in the Constitution.
Overall, one should regulate their own privacy when on the web through privacy settings in order to keep his or herself safe from criminals online and the government has the ability to regulate one's privacy online. However, the Constitution prevents the government form regulating our privacy online. One should regulate their own privacy especially when using social networking sites such as twitter, and Facebook in order to protect their identity. This can be accomplished through privacy settings, using multiple passwords for websites that require a log-in and making sure not to broadcast information you consider private on social-networking sites.
Privacy can also be regulated through the government, however many laws/provisions/amendments stand in the way of allowing them to have the ability to regulate one's privacy online. Even the fourth amendment, talks about the privacy of the American people and the government cannot interfere with someone's privacy without probable cause. The novel Little Brother deals with the American government taking away the people's constitutional rights given to them in the fourth amendment and how Marcus continually fights for the rights of the American people, by referring to the content in the Constitution.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
What is privacy?
The word "privacy" is perceived differently by different individuals. However, the basic meaning of privacy is "the state of being free from intrusion." Generally, most people enjoy their privacy, but with technology, it is becoming harder and harder to see where the line between private and public is drawn. Despite the age of this article, it's still relevant today. Privacy only matters to people once it's been taken away. This is especially true when it comes to the technological world. With the world at our fingertips (literally, when it comes to "smart phones") it just takes one push of a button to make private information public. With each click of a mouse on a computer, movements can be traced and tracked, offering people little to no privacy. However, when the majority of the world is moving in one direction (away from privacy), some companies are trying to offer what little form of privacy they can. Twitter recently gave users another privacy option which will allow users to keep their information from being given to third-party websites. Even certain companies are noticing the backlash that a lack of privacy can bring.
This brings me back to the starting question "What is privacy?", and to be exact, no one really knows what privacy is. It could be something of the past, but it could also be something that people will fight to bring back. With technology at our disposal, the latter could be hard to achieve. There are people within our society who are incapable of operating without relying on some form of technology. Privacy could then, be a figment of our imaginations. Yet, what we strive to keep as private, or secret, we may. There are only so many precautions one may take before their private information is broadcasted over the world. So, I guess the real question is, why do we freely let people look at our personal information by posting it on websites for the world to view, if we later want our privacy back?
This brings me back to the starting question "What is privacy?", and to be exact, no one really knows what privacy is. It could be something of the past, but it could also be something that people will fight to bring back. With technology at our disposal, the latter could be hard to achieve. There are people within our society who are incapable of operating without relying on some form of technology. Privacy could then, be a figment of our imaginations. Yet, what we strive to keep as private, or secret, we may. There are only so many precautions one may take before their private information is broadcasted over the world. So, I guess the real question is, why do we freely let people look at our personal information by posting it on websites for the world to view, if we later want our privacy back?
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