In today's society, privacy is rare. On social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter, people post all kinds of information about themselves and their lives every day. There are those who even tweet things like "On the toilet lol #gotpoop" and "Out with my bae on our vacation to Italy! #travel #noworries." It becomes a serious issue when people freely let go of their life onto the internet. Best case, you'll have people just make fun of or critique you. Worst case, you could get your identity stolen. And with how security works online, it can be easy to steal identities.
First, let's define data privacy: "Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to seclude themselves, or information about themselves, and thereby express themselves selectively; data privacy is the relationship between collection and dissemination of data, technology, the public expectation of privacy, and the legal and political issues surrounding them." (Wikipedia). This information about ourselves can be legal documents, personal feelings, or anything in between. We all like to think that we have information that we keep private, but that isn't true. Nowadays, our identity is recorded and catalogued online, able to be retrieved whenever anyone wants it. When we're born, we have a certificate made. That certificate is copied and logged online, able to be bought and distributed. We have documents created and logged when we graduate high school or college, when we get a job, when we buy a car or a house, and so on. All these legal documents are filed and stored online forever, open to the public.
"You are no longer an individual. You are a data cluster bound to a vast global network."
Now let's define data security: "Data security means protecting data, such as a database, from destructive forces and from the unwanted actions of unauthorized users" (Wikipedia). When signing up for an account on a website (Google, for example), there are numerous security and verification procedures. It asks for identification information (name, age, phone number, email, etc.) so if you forget a password or there's an update, you can access you account. There are a downside to this: minimized privacy.
In comes the notion of the Privacy Pendulum. On one side is Privacy, where we keep our information to ourselves and we are vulnerable. On the other is Security, which has access to all of our information (past, present, and future) and we have a secure path with our data. You cannot have both, and it is ever swinging from side to side. With the internet not having one standard on security or privacy, it pushes the pendulum hard. Some websites are open and free with minimal/no security, while others require extensive access to your personal information.
In my personal opinion, I believe there should be an equilibrium between security and privacy. I prefer security over privacy, because I am a naturally audacious person. However, some things need to be kept in the darkness where no one should venture.
"Information Privacy." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Oct. 2015. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_privacy>.
"Data Security." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Aug. 2015. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_security>.
"Security." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 02 Nov. 2015. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security>.
"Privacy." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Aug. 2015. Web. 02 Nov. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privacy>.
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