Blog: Privacy

With the creation of new media, our privacy and confidentiality has been characterized as a price for all these new advancements. While there are multiple benefits to the new media’s available to us now, we tend to forget about the important drawbacks that come with it. Apps and social media websites such as Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and clothing brands such as H&M all track its users. Through new technology they could know one’s location, what their habits and interest are and market them. Large companies and corporations love to collect data from anywhere they can because consumer data is worth a lot of money. It’s come to the point where one can’t even be in their car without having issues with their privacy. Car manufacturers are able to collect a person’s data though the new medias and tech in cars. The WIFI integration cars have transmit all the personal data collected to online data warehouses, but the security is not as great and could be picked up by others. For example, through the car's WIFI, Google was able to pick up private emails, photos, videos, and message from people. This is dangerous and isn’t even regulated! Manufactures could even keep tabs on how much one weighs when sitting in their car's seat.

Big companies abuse new media all the time. Other examples include, YouTube giving suggested videos based off previous videos seen, Google using searches to sell targeted advertisements, and Amazon tracking what products one orders and suggesting new ones. Nothing done online or that is exposed to WIFI and media is ever confidential. There is always someone watching and monitoring everything, they use this as a way to benefit their company. A lot of people fall victim to letting their data be taken because they are too consumed by the benefits of new media and not paying attention to the negatives. People need to start becoming more aware of these things and try limiting where they put all their information.