Privacy Online & Offline

 

The invasion of privacy is currently a hot topic in the national media. This issue affects not only me but my friends and family members as well. Reflecting over the past year, there have been many incidents that have truly impacted my trust in privacy protection. My school email account was hacked, my mom's identity was stolen, my banking information was breached, and my family's personal information was leaked through my brother's school account. It feels degrading, humiliating, and remorseful when situations of privacy invasion occur. 

The government should implement and enforce laws regarding the invasion of privacy on media platforms. The government should prohibit major corporations from selling consumer data to companies without the consumer's consent. There should be stricter laws that prevent social media apps from violating uses and terms agreements without consumers being notified. Hackers need to be held accountable and justice needs to be served for wrongdoings. 

Electing officials who are willing to work toward protecting the privacy of individuals is a step in the right direction. Laws take time to officially pass, but this is a great way to spread awareness about the issue. As United States citizens, we can protect ourselves from invasions of privacy by upholding our rights and maintaining our amendments. As consumers, we can be more mindful about limiting the amount of information we are releasing to the public. As students, we can protect our daily online consumption by clearing our history.