Internet Privacy

Back in the early 2000’s the internet was still expanding, looking for new ways to make it more easily accessible for millions of users around the world. It’s main purpose was to allow users to search for information they were most interested in, so they could read and learn about it. Internet was very simple, it had no advertisements, no shopping magazines and no other way of communication but sending an email from one person to another. Ten years later the internet has become more easily accessible, and also introduced new ways of communication, such as posting photos, liking posts on social media and shopping online. But the downside of this, is you never know when somebody from somewhere might be viewing your interests and some of the
things that you don’t want to share with anybody else but yourself, especially in the online world. In the article “The slow death of ‘Do not Track’” Fred Campbell makes a valid point by stating, “Online companies typically make money by utilizing data gleaned from their users to sell targeted ads.” Fred Campbell reveals how 3rd party companies basically steal our personal information for their own profit. It makes evident to a consumer that his/her personal data is, as expert Gary Kovacs states, “naked.”

In the article “Who is watching you online” Herb Weisbaum states, “There are no limits to what types of information can be collected.” Herb Weisbaum corroborated that there is no user protection. He revealed that there are no limits to what information can be collected by small businesses. Jennifer Goldbeck in her TEDx talk “The curly fly conundrum” says how the internet has become a more dynamic place for users and that most people should consider the things they like, post or comment on. Jennifer Goldbeck has defined how the internet is more “dynamic” for many users. She questioned how more people need to consider their usage of the Internet.

Since the internet has grown over the years, expanding its users and the amount of hours that are spent by each individual on the internet just in a day, here is my claim: Because the daily use of social media which includes posting, liking and commenting on certain things is so popular, it could potentially allow third party companies to access your profile.
In one of the TEDx talks expert Gary Kovacs says, “The price we pay for communication is our privacy.” Gary Kovacs confirms how our privacy is the main coast for us to use the internet on daily bases. His claim reveals how users are essentially ready to sell themselves for connectivity with one another. Also in the article “The slow death of ‘Do not Track’” by Fried Campbell, he quote unquote states, “Digital advertising grew to a 42.8 billion businesses last year, a sum that already exceeds spending on broadcast television advertising.” I predict there has been a massive growth in digital advertising, especially when expert Fried Campbell confirmed that it grew by 42.8 billion businesses in the year on 2015/2016. No doubt that this particular number has grown
exponentially.

More and more people tend to not have a clear understanding of what they leave after using the internet as a personal agenda, where private information is usually stored, but in this case it’s stored in the wrong place, matter of fact it is stored and even showed off to other people where after being shown will never find its way out and will stay in the digital world forever.
As the expert, Stuart Lacey in his TEDx talk mentioned that we leave “Vapor Trails” every time we go online and “Your personal data is worth a crazy amount of dollars signs.” Stuart Lacey assumes that the majority of online users leave such things called “Vapor Trails”, allowing small businesses to track your interests almost in everything. His point he makes about personal data exemplifies how everybody's personal data is worth a crazy amount of money. Users need to spend their time on the internet wisely, thinking through every little step the make in the digital world, because if they don’t want their personal interests to interest somebody who might use it as a profit to themselves then the users better consider what they like, post and comment on or otherwise they will regret what now can’t be deleted or
forgotten.