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Wisline Fontilus

Prof. Kolkmeyer

English 12

29 January 2021

Surveillance and Privacy on the Internet

The internet has made life simpler and more comfortable for the community, businesses, and interactions between individuals. The internet serves to connect local, and international computers, either small such as mobile phones, or large such as computers. It has led to interconnectivity between people and cultures globally through the simple click of a button on a digital device such as a mobile phone. However, the internet as a significant technological advancement creates the issue of surveillance and privacy. How different technologies are being used to watch people, how the technology is put into use, and what happens to the data collection form some of the big questions related to internet use and privacy. The internet as a transport mechanism and self-expression platform are some of the ways why the internet does not promote privacy but surveillance.

The internet acts as a transport mechanism for many people and businesses today. Today the internet is a transport mechanism in regards to how people interact with each other. Because of advancements in technology, it is easier for people on different continents to communicate and pass information. “Web 2.0 would be understood as a transport mechanism and not as a screen full of texts and graphics” (Tolentino, 6). The web will be very dynamic with different structures such as websites that will act as portals and be full of activities. “In these times, whatever one would be doing would be intertwined with other people's work” (Tolentino, 6). For example, my space is an example of how the internet reduces and invades millions of people's privacy. “Facebook, a renowned interaction social media application, has received criticism for its inability to protect its users from abuse” (Herrman, 1). The abuse officiates mostly from hackers who use Facebook users' information in the wrong way. Therefore, the internet is a transport mechanism for data and profiles of the users leading to invasion of privacy.

The internet promotes opportunities for self-expression and displaying, leaving a tiny window for privacy and a much greater chance for surveillance. Tolentino (4) uses the internet to search for early races of herself, where she finds the Angel fire subpage and an essay, she has no memory of. The internet serves as a storage facility and diary where people can express themselves emotionally and physically. 'It's' so hot outside, and I can't count the times acorns have fallen on my head, maybe from exhaustion" (Tolentino, 4). Tolentino uses the internet to write about her day as a way of expressing herself. My space also allowed its users to post photos, and writing which served as the recordings of their lives (Herrman, 4). Looking closely, many people post their daily activities on the internet with very little regard for what will become of the information. “The internet, which offers a vast amount of unlimited audience, is a natural home of self-expression for many” (Tolentino, 7). The "pools of data" gathered by my space while active are today used to bring down big sites such as Facebook and Google (Herrman, 6). The internet through platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are places for self-expression, which reduces privacy and freedom for many.

People are scrolling through their phones, posting and deleting photos and videos of their daily activities every day. Even though the internet platforms have made it easy for people to interact and share their opinions and schedules, it raises surveillance and privacy invasion from media sites, especially after web 2.0. The internet as a transport mechanism sends and receives information about different people globally. The websites act as portals that allow people to see and hear what another person is saying and doing. Today activities performed on one side of the continent can be seen in another part. It is also apparent that people can express themselves through the internet platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. Many are told that their data is private, but how can it be private while viewed by a million viewers. The internet invades the privacy of its users by storing their data and spying on them secretly.

Work Cited

John, Herrman "What Happens When Facebook Goes the Way Of Myspace? (Published 2018)". Nytimes.Com, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/12/magazine/what-happens-when-facebook-goes-the-way-of-myspace.html. Accessed 29 Jan 2021

Tolentino, Jia. "The I in the Internet." Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion, Random House, 2019, pp. 3-33.