Reading Report 5

Privacy is a large concern in today’s society, almost every electronic device we use records our location and personal information.  From smartphones to tablets, you cannot escape technology and its ability to control your surroundings.  Younger users tend to have the mindset that they do not care if they are being “tracked”.  I will admit my beliefs are not too far from this.  Social media is not the only intrusion of privacy that we experience on a daily basis, the government has the ability to place traces on our phone calls, credit cards and passports.  I support this ability by the government in limited situations granted the there is just cause (i.e. tracking a criminal).  The problem we run into with this power is when to use it and when not, for all anyone knows they could be placed on lists by the government to be monitored and never even know it. 

            “Facebook & Your Privacy” an article extracted from Consumer Reports elaborates on the sheer number of users that have never used privacy settings on facebook or other social media networks, almost 13 million users.  The article starts by presenting raw numbers to gain credibility as a source and continues to back its points with hard evidence.  Facebook is credited with “collecting more data than necessary” and sharing personal information with independent businesses.  Some people think if they lie about their personal information on their profile, they will be safe but this is not the case.  Facebook receives notifications when an ip address visits a site linked to facebook, which is almost every popular media site. Have you ever seen ads for material you recently looked at on facebook? It’s due to their ability to monitor what users interests are.  Sites now target younger audiences due to their gullibility and likeliness to discuss matters with their parents.  The article later goes on to discuss various ways facebook apps can gather your personal information even if you do not click on anything.  Another topic addressed is nine basic ways you can protect yourself from online marketers.  Consumer Reports article “Facebook & Your Privacy” is a very informative piece that raises many concerns with publishing personal information online and ways to protect yourself.