Should government organizations and private companies be allowed to track our online behaviors and use the data they collect about use? What are the implications of the collection and use of personal data when it comes to particular groups in society?
DIRECTIONS:
Pick one particular group to be your imagined audience. Think about why that particular group should care about the issue of online privacy--what do they have at stake? In a blog post of approximately 350-400 words, you will construct an argument based on the specific rhetorical situation you have constructed (see handout). In your argument you must use evidence from at least 3 sources (two may come from the articles we've read together, but one must come from your own research). Remember to use parenthetical citations.
Based on the rhetorical situation, make careful decisions
about the following as you craft your argument:
* Point of view: Why would your audience need to care about an issue related to online privacy? What, according to your opinion, do they have at stake? What do you want this audience to think/understand/believe/do? Make sure your claim on the issue fits the perspective of the audience.
* Structure: How will you begin? How will you organize main points? How will you end? Use the structures on the last page of your toolbox for ideas, or use some of the editorials we read for ideas.
* Examples & evidence: What kind of evidence and examples would your particular audience find convincing and compelling?
* Tone & language use: Craft your words, your metaphors, your tone for the particular audience. Again think about what they would respond to.
* Appeals: As you present your main points, examples, and evidence, what appeals would work? What kind of logical reasons and examples would resonate with this audience? As you craft your language or use imagery or anecdotes, what emotion would you go for? How would you establish a sense of trust or credibility?
* Strategies: Look back at the toolbox and remind yourself of the strategies that are at your disposal: rhetorical questions, anecdotes, allusions, imagery, figurative language, irony, etc. Use what will work with your audience.
REMEMBER TO SAVE YOUR WORK TO A GOOGLE DOC BEFORE YOU POST IT--JUST TO BE SAFE!!!
If you are looking for sources besides articles, here is an interesting podcast and TED Talk:
Podcast:
http://www.wnyc.org/story/propublica-facebook-algorithms-bias-privacy/
TED Talk:
Online tracking of students can have many negative implications for students regarding their safety which may concern parents. Since students are growing up in a digital age, being exposed to all sorts of technology that are used in everyday life, students are likely to be unaware of the tracking that is going on around them. This can be deeply worrisome for parents.
ReplyDeleteDue to these concerns, parents may limit the activities of their children online. However, this may indirectly result in their children’s school work being made more difficult to do, since browsers, including google services, track their users and collect user data (NPR 2). Therefore concerned parents may not allow their children’s use of these services.
In America, more than 50 million students use Google Apps for their schoolwork. Many schools use Google Chromebooks because they affordable in comparison to alternative laptop options and they use free software tools (NPR 1). However, the Google company has been criticized for the collection of student data and activity in the past. An advocacy group has stated that student information collected by Google allows the company to know how to target ads to students and increase company revenue (Ashok 2). This student data collection is legal, however, laws concerning privacy of students are not rigid. Current law states that schools do not require permission from parents before allowing company access to student information (Ashok 2). This may be concerning for students and their parents because they are then unaware of the information that has been collected and how it is being used. The information could potentially be accessed by hackers or online predators, or may simply just be an unwanted invasion of privacy for students. Another major concern is that there is “literally no way to say ‘no’” to school apps for the collection students’ data as according to Nate Cardozo of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (Ashok 2).
One solution to prevent this data collection by these companies is a program known as “Do Not Track” which allows people to choose if they want companies to collect their data of online activity or not. This “Do Not Track” program allows people to opt out of online data collection, allowing them to remain private (Weisbaum 3).
Students should not have to worry about their private information being accessed by online companies or potential online predators while at school. However, with the frequent gathering of data from companies such as Google, this is made hard to avoid. By researching the implications of online tracking and simply being aware of the ways online tracking is used, people can avoid an unwanted amount of information being available to online companies and predators.
The Illusion of Privacy
ReplyDeleteDo you ever feel as if, even if you’re the only person around, you cannot truly be alone? Young adults in the modern world are experiencing an altered reality, that no matter the efforts one may go to, someone is always watching you. Whether young adults admit it or not, the internet is a very prominent aspect of their everyday life. “Teens and young adults have grown up in an environment where sharing information about themselves online is not just encouraged but expected” (Greenblatt 2). Young people today our burdened by the pressures of constantly posting, tweeting, snapchatting where they are and what they’re doing. Joseph Turow, a communication professor at the University of Pennsylvania states, “Young people have always done stupid things. It’s just that now they can do them online for the whole world to see” (Greenblatt 6). The young adults today, grow up in an extremely critical world, where by clicking a button and posting something, the whole world can see your mistakes in an instant. Surveys taken by Pew Research Center say, those who are between ages 18-29 are more likely than older adults to have paid attention to privacy issues, tried to protect their privacy, and reported some sort of harm because of privacy problems (Rainie 9). Young adults today, are accustomed to a world where they have to take steps in order to maintain some sort of semblance of privacy, and this creates a more stressful and dangerous environment than ever before.
As technology vastly expands, the potential for the data collected to be abused is ever expanding to. Companies gather various personal information about you online and construct a profile and then is able to be sold to companies seeking consumers, simply for their own companies benefit. Imagine this, various different companies, that you may have never heard of, may have your personal data ranging from your name to even your health issues. “A comprehensive study reveals that the tracking of consumers has grown far more pervasive and far more intrusive” (Angwin 2). The pressure to fit in has always been a demanding part of growing up, but as the internet is growing, the more arduous it is to try to fit in. It is expected of young adults to be involved on social media, even at the risk of their own privacy, many times giving out personal information without thinking twice. So next time you want to post a picture on instagram with the location “Ocean City Boardwalk’ ask yourself, is sacrificing our privacy, the price you have to pay for popularity?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhy the Internet Can be a Dangerous Place for Children
ReplyDeleteOnline tracking is very risky, and can have especially dangerous implications for children. Sometimes, children don’t fully understand the risks of going into Internet chat rooms or responding to strange emails, which can make them easy targets for online crime. In fact, children are the fastest-growing victim pool in Internet crime (Protecting Children Online). This is significant because it shows just how much danger children are put in while they spend time online. Children’s online movements are being tracked, and so are their movements in the real world. For example, the Disney MyMagic wristbands allow every guest to be tracked all across the park, down to which rides they have and haven’t gone on (Clampet). The fact that exact movements can be tracked is a terrifying thought. Imagine what Disney’s tracking technology can mean for the future: what if tracking programs like the one in Disney are being implemented in more places? Schools? Cities? That would mean hackers could potentially know your, and more importantly your children’s, exact location.
On top of children being in physical danger from being on the Internet, their personal information is also being sold as a commodity. For example, the children’s toy company VTech was hacked into in 2015 (At School and at Home, How Much Does the Internet Know About Kids?). The hacker learned he not only could access the children’s basic information (such as first names), you could link two databases and find the children’s full names as well as addresses. The fact that children’s information can be easily accessed is very scary, especially in a world where the Internet has ever-growing presence, because that could one day mean that children’s entire lives are being tracked via the Internet, right from their very early childhood.
How to keep your kids safe? There are many simple steps to take to keep your kids safer online. Don’t let your kids use a computer unsupervised, and don’t let your children set up an email account until you are sure they are responsible enough to not respond to strangers and scams. If your child has an Internet-connected toy, put in a fake name and address, or even better, don’t buy your children any toys that connect to the Internet. If you take these steps and use caution whenever kids are involved with the Internet, you can keep you and your family safer.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteA Knack to Track
ReplyDeleteOh the internet! What an amazing place to be able to hide behind a screen, right? Wrong. No matter how much you think you may be hiding, there will always be someone watching. Whether it’s a company tracking your past purchases on amazon or that secret online dating profile that you don’t want your friends to know about, there is always someone gathering and interpreting your every move.
“Well, I like to think I have some mystery left to me but apparently not!” (Angwin 1). This is what 26 year old Ms. Hayes Beauty cries after realizing that all her time spent on entertainment news taking quizzes was surrendering her personal privacy. Companies had been picketing her online activity and selling it to other companies for money. Just think about how much time you spend on the internet doing homework or searching for a job. Now times that by the amount of time you spend on social media perfecting your instagram profile and sending tweets about your latest and trendiest location. That is probably a lot of time and information, right? You could be just like Ms. Hayes Beauty! “ Companies can learn about your personal finances, religious beliefs, political affiliation race, ethnic background, even health problems or sexual preferences. The potential for abuse is enormous since this information can be used by insurance companies financial institutions, landlords, and prospective employers” says Sharon Goott Nissim with the Electronic Privacy Information Center (Weisbaum 1). So therefore your friends aren’t the only ones seeing your latest fads online and there’s no way to shelter it. It’s already too late.
So are you scared now? Me too. Nowadays it is impossible to have privacy online and we need to be a lot more cautious about what we put up. I know you want to have the most crowd-pleasing profile but sometimes you just have to take a step back and think about if it’s really worth forfeiting your safety. This can be very hard in an age where people believe the only way to get attention is by getting the highest amount of instagram likes or having the most revealing pictures but that is not true. So whenever you’re about to update your profile or post a picture, think about who will be watching you next.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIn recent times, the frequency of companies and organizations tracking our children's online habits has skyrocketed immensely. In many situations, such as the VTech scandal, many families have been affected by this obscured intrusion that society seems to condone. When our children and home fronts are being harmed, it becomes a hazard.Thus implying, modern day violation of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act is hazardous. However, privacy on children's toys and technology devices can be made safely if the correct steps are followed; parents should regulate the information inputted into children's devices to prevent identity theft, and corporations should review their products to pass the COOPA. This is crucial because firstly it is unjust and unlawful to violate children's privacy rights. Secondly, if un-noticed corporations simply ignore the cause. And lastly, regarding futuristic concerns, it can pose as a harm to families.
ReplyDeleteAn essential question to ponder is: “what caused this problem primarily.” Well, a short time ago it was discovered that on these children's toys predators can link easily hacked information with another database to determine who the kids are, who their parents are, where they live, and even credit card information (Weisbaum 2).The bottom line is even in the toy world there are security flaws.
Part of the problem is that dataveillance is often overlooked, or simply disregarded in modern day America. A new trifecta scandal emerged recently. Hasbro, Mattel, and Viacom were found guilty in the sense that they had violated the COOPA policy (Addady 1). To most Americans news of this sends waves of utter shock, partially because such established companies had failed to upkeep an essential privacy policy. On the other hands, a sense of disbelief is often created, in situations like these, where people are impressed by how quiet the scandal was handled… how it was kept on the down-low. This is a very typical case, where America’s most beloved companies are violating our children’s protection rights. Similarly, approximately a year ago a VTech hacker stole personal information and pictures of more than six million children. This further represents how untrustworthy merchandise companies truly are, since apparently hacking has become such a nonchalant task! The final part of the problem is that “68 % of internet users believe current laws aren’t good enough in protecting people's privacy online,” (Rainie 8). American’s have spoken loud and clear through the data that they feel insecure about how their privacy concerns are handled.
Momentarily many professionals are trying to confront and solve these facilities in companies. They are taking steps to protect future technological invasions. In addition, many improvements have been made to better the privacy right for children. For example, the previously mentioned companies: Hasbro, Mattel, and Viacom, all were provided a fine, and agreed to protect children from future invasions (Addaday 1). By agreeing to protect their customers in the future, they were essentially agreeing to scan/ monitor third-party trackers, and vet third-party data collection practices (Addaday 2)). Furthermore, Mattel company spokesman recently claimed, “we will take prompt action to investigate, and, if necessary, remedy the situation and look for additional controls to avoid recurrence of the issue,” (Addaday 2).
Modern day violation of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act is quite hazardous, nonetheless, if awareness is raised toward the caused children in America will be much safer when using technology-based toys. Yet, by all counts, violation of the COOPA mustn't be dismissed with ease.
The Elderly Online
ReplyDeleteIf you were to ask people 65 and older about the internet, chances are many of them wouldn’t know a lot about this subject especially about the risks of the internet. “Most adults are not sure what information is being collected or how it is being used” (Rianie 6). If adults who may have a jobs that include going online are unaware of what is being collected about them then people like the elderly who rarely go online reasonably must not know much at all. Of course some of the risk is eliminated because they don’t go online often but when they do go online they may be less knowing about a scam or a hacker since they don’t have all the knowledge or security tools someone who goes online everyday has (Absher 1).
Even when you check one email lots of data is being collected about you without your knowledge (Roose 8). This data is mostly used to target specific ads to you based on your online searches (Angwin 2). This may not seem like a big problem but over time a whole profile of your personal information is collected and eventually a single file could hold all your likes and dislikes without you even knowing it (Angwin 1). Elderly people most likely don’t have much knowledge about how these files that collect all this personal information work. People are usually more likely to trust something if it can connect to them. “It may be difficult to determine the legitimacy of a particular company” (Absher 2). These elderly people may then think these ads are safe and legitimate and click on them. Then bam they just downloaded a virus collecting even more personal information than before putting them in danger of identity or credit card theft. These tracking softwares collecting information for ads aren’t only unsafe because of the potential of someone unknowingly downloading a virus. David Moore, chairman of 24/7 RealMedia Inc claims that this data is being used harmlessly (Angwin 4). However are we just going to take his word for it. Of course he wouldn’t admit to using the data in a noxious way. There are indeed many ways to stop tracking but someone with less internet experience like an elderly person might not know this (Absher 1). Online tracking does have benefits, but for people like the elderly who don’t know the dangers and may be more oblivious to the harms are being put at risk. In order to protect our less online educated people we need regulations that cut down the information tracking companies collect.
Your Computer, Your Doctor?
ReplyDeleteBe of careful what you type, someone’s watching. Every time you type in your symptoms, your computer is there, remembering all your pain and ailments, creating a personal profile. Remember when you had a headache one day and suddenly there’s an ad for aleve? Coincidence? More like creepily stalking of online advertisers.
To some people, being tracked is fine as long as the information being tracked isn’t specific. In a survey done by Pew Research Center, only 8% of adults said that purchasing habits is a very sensitive information, but 55% say their state of health and medications is(Rainie 4). Why is this? Probably because cookies’ purpose are to make online shopping convenient, not diagnosing people based on what they looked up. Private medical information is being seized and the law can’t protect us.
Your computer is also your doctor? In a way, it is. It collects your data, analyzes it, then sends you ads for certain medications, basically diagnosing you and telling you what will help. The problem is, what if it diagnoses you wrong and advices you the wrong medication? Doctors went through years of school to have the knowledge to diagnose people. Advertisers are not qualified and have no right to suggest a cure based on your browsing history.
They also manipulate desperate people who fall for false advertisements saying they have a chance to survive/have a baby/ etc, even after the doctors say they have none. These people are vulnerable and giving them false hope for money is just cruel. Their situations should be private so they wouldn't be taken advantage of, and the law should make sure of this.
The government passed a law called The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 which states that only you and your physician can see your medical state, but this is clearly not being enforced. In University of Montana, 62 innocent kids’ psychiatric files were posted on their website(Graber 1)! They say it was an accident, but even so, they should've been punished because it violated HIPAA, but there is clearly no enforcement.
Solutions
A basic way to solve this problem is Do Not Track program which makes it easy for online users to opt out from online tracking(Weisbaum 1). A stricter way is to make all medical information off limits, even just symptoms being looked up. Many people like Weisbaum agree. He said “... health information, should be off limits unless permission is given…” (Weisbaum 3). This can be enforced by programming a software to find medical words and automatically deletes this from a tracking device. More importantly, the government need to actually enforce HIPAA. Violators need to be punished.
Why Online Tracking is Putting Your Kids In Danger and What You Can Do To Help
ReplyDeleteBy: Madeleine Hesler
Everything you do online from surfing the web to connecting Disney’s new magic bands, you are being tracked. Now that online tracking is becoming more and more prevalent and technology is getting better and better, your kids are at more of a risk of being tracked and victimized by predators who use the internet to their advantage
There are nearly 50,000 online predators just waiting to pick out a victim (Garbaciak 1). These predators use things like private chat rooms to contact your kids. The online predators can use the information to learn about your children to appeal to them. This is a danger because in the private chat rooms they can learn more personal information like your address or your child’s personal phone number. If the predator is a sexual predator, then they will most likely want to meet up with your child. This is very dangerous especially if your kid thinks they are meeting someone else because the predator used a fake name and picture.
For sixth graders Caleb Yurk, Brandon Pegelow, and Caden Sinur, these online chat rooms ruined one of their favorite games. This game was Clash of Clans, and they were letting everyone join in so that they could have the best clan. Shortly after, someone they didn’t know joined their clan. He began messaging sexual innuendos and foul language. (Garbaciak 2). The surprising thing was that the boys actually told their parents. According to GuardChild and the Pew Institute nearly 69% of kids aged 10-17 never tell their parents if they receive unwanted sexual solicitation (Garbaciak 2). Geotagging is another practice that is dangerous for children. It allows people to take a photo that you or someone has posted and find the exact location of where that photo was taken. Predators can use this to come up with a list of places that you commonly visit and track you. This is dangerous to kids because kids use things like instagram and snapchat a lot which allow location. Predators can access their locations and meet them somewhere potentially causing harm.
In Disney World, tracking is becoming more of a marketing tool. Disney uses magic wristbands for things like getting into the park. These bands can also tell you where you are at any moment by using the short and long range chips inside the bands (Garcia 2). Disney bands also allow people to know your kid’s birthdays and personalized interests (Garcia 3). This is potentially dangerous because if the information got into the wrong hands, then that person could exploit the information.
Lastly, one in five children among the 45 million children on the internet have been sexually solicited and one in four has encountered unwanted nude photos. Close to 60% of teens have received an email or text message from a stranger as well (San Diego County District Attorney 2). This means that there is a very high chance your child may be at risk. Eric Szatkowski, from the Wisconsin Department of Justice, said that not thinking that anything bad will happen to you or your child is a very bad attitude to have (Garbaciak 3).
Madeleine Hesler
ReplyDeleteWhat Can You Do To Help?
Put your computer in a central location
Educate yourself about the internet
Don’t allow children to go in private chat rooms
Know your child’s passwords
Look up the search history on your computer
(San Diego County District Attorney 3&4)
What I Think
I think that online tracking is very dangerous for children. Even if it gives us more targeted ads, I would rather be safe from online predators. Companies are able to find out too much information about you and it is too easy to be hacked (NPR Staff 2). I think more measures need to be taken to ensure the safety of children, because they are easier targets. I understand that some tracking is required to be done by the government but it is for the prevention of terrorist attacks, so they will be looking for keywords in search histories,like bomb or anti-american terms. Given this though, the government has to make sure no one can access the information and it can’t be leaked, or else it really defeats the whole purpose of the tracking.
The Dangerous Snowball of Technology
ReplyDeleteBy Isabel Bushway
Anything and everything you do online can be watched. Information from from what you typed in your browser yesterday to what health condition you are in will be used to build up a profile about you. This profile will be sold and in some cases, hacked.
That is only the start. Your current location can be found using your phone and there is now a photographing technology that is able to take a picture of a whole city and watch everything that goes on in it.
With all this new tracking technology developing, the American Citizens are worried about their privacy. This concern is only enhanced when experts predict that in the future, “privacy will become a luxury good.” (Raine, 9).
Many Americans have a phone, computer or access to the internet and a lot of information can be collected such as your “age, ZIP code, and gender...code containing estimates of income, marital status, presence of children and home ownership,” (Angwin, 4) as well as “your personal finances, religious beliefs, political affiliation, race, ethnic background and even health problems or sexual preferences.” (Weisbaum, 1). This information is collected by a cookie to build your profile that will be sold to target advertisers. The cookie that tracks you everywhere, was originally used to remember the contents of your online shopping cart. Clearly a small, harmless thing snowballs quickly into a dangerous item that could do real harm in the hands of the wrong people.
“Tracking” in real life is almost as bad as it is online. Think of how many places that have surveillance cameras such as schools, workplaces, and stores. These places we understand that they are only trying to protect us. But how do we feel when the surveillance is of a whole city? There are now planes that have cameras attached to them that take a picture every second of a whole entire city. Those pictures are then sent back to a command center where they analyzed for crime. However, like the tracking technology, in what ways could it snowball into something bigger and more dangerous.
Is there any positive to this mess of tracking, hacking and lacking of regulations? Targeted advertising does limit the number of useless ads and may bring to something you want. If you really truly want to, there are ways to remove your online footprint. However, it is so hard and annoying to do so that it is almost most people don’t do it.
ReplyDeleteThen there are the planes. It seems so big and scary. But, it you live in a city with 300 murders a month and 52 kidnappings a week, anything is worth a shot. The leader, Ross McNutt, says that the technology could reduce crime by 30-40%. In the trials that this technology has done, the planes have helped catch a robber in approximately 10 minutes and taken down a whole cartel whose leader was responsible for 1500 murders. This is a powerful piece of technology. People in the cities that would potentially be in had the obvious concerns of privacy invasion, though. Is safety worth it?
My Two Cents
The tracking online has gotten out of hand. Much of the information they collect is not needed for ad targeting. There needs to be a limit on some personal info such as your current health condition. It is unfair for advertisers to use such a vulnerable subject and that is personal information that shouldn’t be out in the open. There is a Do Not Track law is being considered to become a law. What it will do is make an easy opt out option that doesn’t take much effort. I agree with the bill. Some people just do not have the time to find out how to remove their online footprint because it is so complicated.
It seems that the planes are useful. For me, the safety the planes provide are worth it. Think of all the kids who are kidnapped who could be saved and all the people who could be protected from captured murderers. In the end, the pictures can’t see your face and the company that produces the planes has put limits on the strength of cameras.As long as the company continues to put limits on the things it looks at it won’t snowball into the issue that online tracking has become it will be okay.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe stranger behind the screen.
ReplyDeleteBy Vaishu Kanakamedala
Imagine a man watching your child’s every move. He notes down what little Timmy likes to eat, what he likes to watch and what he enjoys. Certainly, you would feel threatened by this man, perhaps go to the police even. So why is it any different on the internet? Everyday, tens of hundreds of parents post cute baby pictures online. And you know how it is with the internet, when it’s out there, it’s out there. Human beings have a tendency to get urges to show off their lives. Like Wayne writes in his article, “We, too, are using our children on the Internet to burnish our personal brands from the C.E.O who wants to let everyone know she still takes time to attend her child’s piano recital to the stay-at-home caregiver wanting recognition for his exhausting work.” (Wayne, 2) Although there is an age limit on many social medias, there is no stopping the adults from posting on their own accounts. And some parents know the hazards of posting things online about their children.
But what happens when companies, like V-Tech, a company that many trust, show up unreliable? There was an article covered by NPR about a hacker who was able to get into the company’s database and take information about 6 million children, including photos. “And some advocates say that information can be collected too easily and sometimes, protected poorly.” (NPR, 1) With a few steps, any hacker will be able to find out the child’s first and last name, and his/her home address. Guess that company needs better security.
Or maybe you shouldn’t give out your information at all. There is no controlling where data goes after you put it online. That is why there needs to be a stop to online tracking. There are benefits but there are the same amount, perhaps even more drawbacks. Big entertainment companies like Disney can use online tracking to see what is most popular with children. They say it’s harmless, just used for targeted advertising and that it will not be circulated outside of Disney. But not only does Disney track the kids online, they take the tracking to a whole other level and apply it in real life. The ‘MyMagic’ wristbands that they sell to families actually tracks the bearer around the Disney parks. They explained, “[the bands] are equipped with radio-frequency identification chips and interact with RFID scanners installed all across Disney World.” (Clampet, 2) That means that, they know where you are, at any given time. Terrifying, I know.
In general, tracking companies claim that what they are doing is harmless but if that information falls into the wrong hands, there is no telling what could happen. Therefore, it is better to be safe than sorry. Tracking companies should limit, perhaps even completely cease their data collecting on children, for the safety of them and their future.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete(part 3 of 3)
ReplyDeleteMy Two Cents
In the end, we all just want our children to be safe. We don't want them to have their identities stolen or to be scammed into giving away theirs credit card numbers. We don't want them to be taken advantage of. The only way that children can avoid these things is if they learn how to- good habits start young.
Programs and apps that teach children good practices for using the Internet have to be created with the same rapidity that free iPhone games are, and with the same appeal to children. After all, children are more likely to have good habits if they develop them by themselves- there’s only so many times they'll listen to a parent’s reprimands before they ignore them.
These apps also have to stay in accordance with privacy laws so they don't expose children’s data themselves, and so parents trust them. If they can collect only children's first names, ages, and online handles, that's really all they need to be useful; data collection from children has to minimal.
Therefore, I think that programs for children promoting child safety should be encouraged and used- by schools, by teachers, by parents, by the government, even. They need to be integrated into children’s education so that they can really work. They could be the things that save children all over the world from identity theft, kidnapping, and more.
Children deserve to have access to the information they need to have safe online experiences, which can only happen if they're educated and allowed to learn for themselves. After all, if they can't learn, then whose fault are their problems online? Is it their fault, or the person who sheltered them?
A violation of teenage privacy: Online Tracking
ReplyDeleteHow would you feel if a school you were applying to requested to see your internet history? What if a hacker gained access to Twitter's databases and saw your location and interests? Well, this is a big threat. Advertisers are partnering with social media companies and are tracking teenagers. Data collection laws are outdated, and teenagers voluntarily give out information. Personally, I have fallen victim to including my location on an Instagram post. This information can be leaked, potentially harming your safety, job search, and/or college opportunities.
Teenagers are using social media more and more, as documented by Pew Research: “24% of online teens use twitter, up from 16% in 2011.” (Madden 2). These numbers are from 2013, and with the recent twitter craze, teenage use is at an all time high. Correspondingly, teenagers are giving out high amounts of data. Stated in another Pew article: “It is also true that younger adults are more likely to have shared personal information online.” (Rainie 7). Teenagers love to post about what they are doing, where they are, and their interests. This information creates a unsettling profile for advertising companies to use. A problem arises when people try to gain access to this information, legally or not.
A solution proposed by the FTC is the “Do Not Track” button, a clickable icon to opt out of receiving targeted ads from participating companies (Weisbaum 2).This would prevent companies from creating a profile on you. A precaution to take is to educate teenagers on how to keep themselves protected. A surprising amount of tracking can be stopped with some prior knowledge and intuition.
My two cents:
A do not track program would be extremely useful for users who care about their online privacy. If these companies can track you with minimal permission, you should be able to stop them. Unfortunately, only a minority will make use of this program, but it is still a worthwhile investment. Teenagers should also educate themselves on protecting their data. Many people, teenagers included, have a mentality of “I didn't do anything wrong, so I have nothing to hide!”. It’s dangerous to think like this, because people have different opinions on what is wrong. An innocent twitter post you made a year ago might harm that college scholarship you are applying to. Teenagers should be conscious about what they post, and protect themselves from online tracking.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of online privacy is not what it seems. All over the globe, people and companies are grabbing and seizing your personal interests and information as they all want to sway your mouse towards their desirable products. Some people may be aware of it, but the majority is unaware, most of which are children whose information could be at severe risk. With their information out there, predators lurk, waiting for the right time to strike.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of online privacy has always been an issue as few people are aware that they are being followed in one way or another through cookies, which are used to track the user’s online history. (Angwin 5). People want no online tracking but anonymity is nigh impossible, especially for children (Madden 2). As the online world evolves, so is the way hackers and predators infiltrate and steal personal information and use it to target and attack in real life. It has gotten to a state where hackers are able to get into kids toys which stores over 6 million children’s personal information, and steal it. Such things included are full names of both children and their parents, medical information and even more (NPR 1).
Even though there have been many acts which have been instituted in order to protect the information of children on the internet, such as the “Do not track” program (Weisbaum 1) and the “Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act” (NPR 1) but the laws have many loopholes. The law states that the company only needs to know they collect information from minors. So they can say they know yet still use it in malevolent ways. The law may ensure knowledge that they collect the data, but when they don’t even need to protect the information, the child is at a greater risk than ever.
Now I’ll throw in my two cents as this information doesn’t concern just children but young adults and parents too. The fact that the information is so easy to access via a simple click of the mouse is far from calming, as many types of people can grab and access your information. I believe stricter enforcement of the online privacy acts is needed or we need to take action ourselves, as the concern by the higher ups is minuscule at best. If we don’t stop this issue, online progress will be very problematic in the future.
How would you feel if you were to find out that a complete stranger knew everything about your children?
ReplyDeleteLittle do parents know that their children are constantly being tracked and a stream of data is being collected and stored about them, whether they are surfing the web, ordering something online, or using internet-connected toys or devices (At School And At Home, How Much Does the internet Know About KIds). Companies claim that the data they collect is strictly for advertising/marketing purposes and that the data is private and well protected.How much of this is really true? Instead of leaving the present and future of your children in the hands of these companies who use their information to make money, and might not have taken the appropriate steps to protect their data, a predator or hacker could be a simple hack away from getting access to the information of your children. Why not put your faith in something like a “Do Not Track” program instead of risking it , that way it will be easy for you to tell companies that you do not want them collecting data on your children, not just that, with a program like this you will have more control over the information being collected about your kids and you will have more of a choice over what happens to that information (Weisbaum 2).
Do something to protect your kids it does not have to be to extreme, even by just taking a few simple steps like taking advantage of privacy settings given on social media sites, apps and other web browsers , you can decrease the chances of predators getting information about your kids and viewing photos (Hardy).
In conclusion, I believe that companies should not be allowed to track, collect, and use personal data especially when it comes to children. Something like his can have immediate and future effects that can be very harmful for children. Children are endangered by hackers who can easily access personal information about children and find out where they live,and this could bring harm in many unexpected ways. They can also commit identity theft and something like that can affect children in the short term and in the long run for example when they grow older and go to do something(like apply for some type of application) but they don't get selected/accepted because someone with there info is already an applicant . Students may also be denied access to colleges and later jobs if their identity has been stolen and their credit history and public image is ruined. Things like these can ruin the lives of you kids, but it does not have to be like that you can protect your children by being careful about the kind of information you reveal and by keeping an eye on the kind of information your kids put out there.The safety of your children is your responsibility do something to protect it and take action.
Your medical record is kept confidential between you and your doctor...or is it?
ReplyDeleteRemember that polio shot you got when you were a baby? You might not recall it, but that’s what your medical record is for. It keeps track of everything about you that’s heath related, from the moment you’re first born, to the day you die (Torrey, 1).
Medical records used to only be documented on paper, kept locked in cabinets all the time until a dire situation arose, and then the dusty files of medical records would be brought out to be further examined. Today these records are being recorded and stored electronically. In some circumstances, the new use of technology proves to be an efficient advance for both patients and providers. However, the electronic storage of the medical records have brought new problems to the table.
One of the problems that has been uncovered is the issue of privacy. Who should be granted permission to look at one’s medical record? In my opinion, only doctors and the patient themself (as well as immediate family members) should be allowed access to the medical records, because it doesn’t concern anyone else. Nevertheless, your information is being viewed by the government, insurance companies, landlords, and prospective employers (Weisbaum, 1). This can lead to many unjust situations, because once employers or insurance companies are allowed access to your medical records, the issue of discrimination surfaces.
Say you’re on your way to a job interview, but when you arrive, your potential employer has already dismissed you because they had previously seen your medical record and found out you have epilepsy, or some other serious condition. Even if you were completely qualified for the job, you would still be turned away because your medical record was available to your employer. Say you want to obtain life insurance, but because the insurance providers had access to your medical records, and discovered you’ve had some serious health problems, they may present you with a less desirable plan than they would have if they hadn’t seen your record, or they might refuse to provide you with insurance at all (Angwin, 6). The fact that people (who have nothing to do with the medical field) are able to view your medical record may seem innocuous, but it really causes ubiquitous problems that one might not be able to foresee.
Well, what can we do stop our medical records from falling into the wrong hands, you might ask. You, as a strong, independent person, need to obtain the responsibility of monitoring your medical record, because it’s a right you’re entitled to. Always keep a copy of your medical record to understand what information is being shared among other providers, and how it may impact your daily life.
Are the sites on your electronic devices your Friends or your Rivals?
ReplyDeleteWhat if someone told you “ you're being tracked and I know it” Would you feel uneasy or get worried? Well its online tracking that you should be worrying about right now. Online tracking of young teens can have negative implications for young teens dealing with online privacy. Many young teens around the world don’t realize that whenever they post their picture of themselves it's not only their friends that can see it but many “friends” that see it. Those “friends” might not even be the friends you know and you might be that one person that catches their attention. Going online and just posting all these things may result in a very bad way. 71% of young teens would post things like where they will be next; who they’re with now (Henley 1). Young teens today are chained to the fact that they have to constantly post something or Snapchat their friend telling them what they are doing right now. Pew reports found that only 9% of the teens were “very” concerned about third parties like companies or government agencies accessing their personal information (Henley 2). There are millions of companies that are out there and out of all those billions of people they might just pick you. “The internet has become a serious threat to our privacy” says Jeff Chester, executive director of the center for Digital Democracy (Weisbaum 1). Young teens might not think that because in the world they’re growing up in is not a regular place anymore, it’s full of technology and electronic devices and teens use them to communicate, do homework on, and play on. It’s like their own robotic helper and they need it.
As the world changes and technology expands young teens will be forever drowned into those electronic enemies and will never know how to pull themselves out of it. They will keep letting companies gather and use their personal information like its actually okay for them to do so. “Technology is growing so powerful and ubiquitous that even some of America’s biggest sites say they were unaware, until informed by the journal, that they were installing intrusive files on visitors computers” (Angwin 4). As more and more teenagers grow up and become addicted to those electronic enemies more information is being put out there about them that they don’t even know about. They value popularity more than they value their own online privacy. They just don’t understand, but by researching all those effects and consequences young teens can prevent the problems of online tracking since they are more aware or have the knowledge to go look out for online privacy.
Is it really that big of a deal that companies are tracking us online? Shouldn’t the average U.S. citizen have the right to their privacy? “Fully 91% of adults agree or strongly agree that consumers have lost control of how personal information is collected and used by companies” (Rainie 8), said Pew research center. So how have people lost control of their personal information? “The problem, say some industry veterans, is that so much consumer data is now up for sale, and there are no legal limits on how that data can be used” (Angwin 8).
ReplyDeleteSo how does online tracking even work? Many people in the U.S. have heard about online tracking before but have no idea how it works and how big of a problem it is. So, here is how it works; “Tracking is done by tiny tracking files and programs known as “cookies”, “flash cookies,” and “beacons”. They are downloaded to a computer when a user visits a website that uses those tracking devices” (Angwin 5). With this technology the companies are able to find and store your personal data and then they sell that data to advertisement companies. “Journal conducted a study and found that the nation’s 50 top websites on average install 64 pieces of tracking technology onto the computers of visitors, usually with no warning” (Angwin 2). After I had learned this, I understood that websites do track internet users, but I was still confused on if they track only some consumers, or when they actually track them, so I wasn’t really too worried about it, because I had never thought it affected me too. Then, about a month ago, I was online searching for a dress for homecoming. It’s been a month since I searched for a dress, and ads still pop up advertising homecoming dresses. How I felt before this had happened is most likely how a lot of citizens feel when they don’t really understand tracking. This is why people are so vulnerable to online tracking and don’t even try the simple ways of blocking out trackers. Like not giving companies their real information.
The average U.S. citizen might not worry too much about their privacy, but that’s not the only problem. “This is also about protecting consumers from profit-seeking corporations, who are gaining an insurmountable edge in their efforts to get people to part with their money” (Rosen). Many people, including me, and most likely you too, know that, in today’s world, shopping online is the way to go. It’s much more convenient, and you don’t even have to leave your couch. But when you see an ad pop up online, and you decide to buy the product, are you being cheated of your money? “In the case of digital marketing, the inefficiencies aren’t going to be such clear cases. Rather, the failures will come in the form of consumers being systematically charged more than they would have been had less information about that particular consumer and their interests been collected by trackers. Sometimes, that will mean exploiting people who are not of a particular class” (Rosen). Say, for example, upcharging the prices of suitcases because the company knows that a family needs them to go on vacation to Florida the following week. “Such price discrimination tactics could lead to regressive distribution effects, also known as preying on the vulnerable” (Rosen). This all means that the data that is being collected from the consumers, and sold without permission, will be used to charge the consumer as much as possible, while selling the consumer a product that they probably don’t even need. Trackers are taking advantage of you. In their eyes, it’s all about the money.
ReplyDeleteSo...how are we going to stop this? Why is this even legal in the first place? “Online advertisers say they strongly believe in protecting consumer privacy and want people to and want people to have a choice in whether they are tracked online” (Weisbaum 2). That’s why the U.S. courts have ruled online tracking legal. But, in reality, users can delete however many “cookies” they want, and companies will still be able to track them. “Flash cookies can be used by data collectors to re-install regular cookies that a user has deleted” (Angwin 7). The only way to even try to avoid tracking, requires purchasing very expensive software which is very inconvenient, especially to the people who can’t afford that. However, it is ridiculous that internet users even have to worry about purchasing this just to try to protect their privacy, because of something that should be illegal.
The 91% of adults who agree that consumers have lost control of their information, do have a right to be concerned, and with this many people on board with this idea, there is no reason why U.S. courts shouldn’t do something about this. Online tracking is not only just “creepy”, but it also affects people financially, and companies can just steal your information and sell it without even having your consent. Yes, in the world today, it will be hard to fix this problem, because, with all of this new technology, this is the new way of life. However, the government at least needs to pass laws prohibiting trackers from tracking consumers without permission or warning, because this is way to out of hand. Consumers shouldn’t have to worry about their privacy every time they go online.
ReplyDeleteThe truth: your children are being tracked online.
ReplyDeleteParents, the time has come to open your eyes because they are watching you. Now it is not like in the popular James Bond films or Mission Impossible but it is very real. My name is Adam Bobok and I am here to tell you about online tracking and how it could affect your children.
The companies that you love that make your favorite favorite toys like Hasbro have betrayed you. Companies have such as Viacom, Mattel, Hasbro, and JumpStart all took part in selling the information of child users to third-party advertising corporations which was revealed by a 2-year probe known as “Operation Child Tracker” (Blain 4). The reason why these big companies are doing this is because this information can be sold for a lot of money.
There are other instances of this happening, for example Disney’s new ‘MyMagic’ wristbands that were recently enacted into their theme parks where the actual purchases in the real world are being of tracked of all the patrons (including the children) (Garcia 1). In 2015 a hacker stole the personal information and photos of more than 6 million children of a company known as VTech by linking 2 databases where all the information was held. This all happened because VTech was collecting information about child users. there was extremely personal (NPR 1). At least this time the hacker was malicious but next time we never know what will happen because we should be real: there are really messed up people in this world.
To be fair all of the companies that were discovered during the probe which was led by state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (Blain 1) all payed the total fine of $835,000 and agreed to implement new procedures regarding the third-party vendors operating on their websites, Hasbro even said in a statement that they will, “bolster privacy practices,” (Blain 2). But to counter this, fines of $835,000 is nothing compared to what they are making off of the exploitation of our children’s privacy which is sold to third-party companies.
The point of this is that there are consequences to online tracking and based on Murphy’s Law is that anything bad that can happen will happen meaning that never undermine your child’s privacy because they are innocent and it is your (as their parent or guardian’s) responsibility to protect it. But there is good news: the government is making new laws that restrict the tracking of online activities of our children like COPPA, but do not just sit around because the obvious solution is you making the effort to monitor the sites that the creator’s of our future use so that we can put out the fire before it even starts.
I forgot to add my title. It's "What Is The Big Deal With Being Tracked Online?"
ReplyDelete