The Starbucks drive thru greeted me with a slyly smiled woman plastered on an obnoxiously large high definition screen who promptly, almost in a robotic, somewhat childlike manner, began the transaction. My name is Heather. What’s your name? The grin didn’t leave her face. This isn’t a new question, and I am fully aware of the notoriety that Starbucks has when it comes to the offering of one’s alias, but I Did Not Like the way I was being approached in (what I thought) would be a simple exchange of money for goods. As its clear target, the camera was aimed at my soul so “Heather” could see me in my natural habitat, my safe zone, my car, my place where I dictate what devices are pointed where and who is recording what, my space. I am also privy to the fact that cameras are absolutely everywhere now, so it’s not like this whole drive thru thing is shocking, but it’s pretty frustrating due to its core functionality. What is the point of having your employee see the customer during a drive thru interaction, and then showing the customer what the employee is seeing? Well, that’s not the point. The naïve, unexplored answer is mostly because we have the capability to, so why not? and it meets success because of the FaceTime inspired, customer luring layout. In a more diabolical approach, however, Starbucks has battered a gold mine of data by having a camera front and center in what would normally be a less in-your-face interaction.
I also find it helpful to mention that I am aware that there have been video cameras installed at businesses for a long time with at least one or two being pointed at the drive thru and at least three or four being pointed at the employees. One fast food chain in particular has plenty of footage of me- way more than I would like to know. I have accepted this video culture due to complacency and acceptance that in order to do basic things, such as grocery shop, I will be caught on camera. I just did not realize that a camera would be pointed at my face when I am not expecting a camera to be pointed in my face. Maybe I’m the naïve one.
This may not be a big deal to many! Westerners are used to cameras being everywhere, and many of us absolutely embrace them. Plenty of folks will not bat an eye at the futuristic Starbucks drive thru where…oh wow! I get to see the employee before the window?…lacking an awareness of the utter power that the corporation has unlocked by implementing this process of ordering.
What’s your name?
I slithered my sunglasses onto my face and slid back into the seat. Heather. My name is Heather too. The pain was over immediately and I drove forward to collect. My data-concerned mind was trying to comprehend what Starbucks had just extracted from that fifteen second recorded interaction of which I provided no consent. But consent to accessing one’s data doesn’t matter in the virtual world.
Cameras directly pointed at the customer in a drive thru interaction is not limited to this corporation and is a practice that has increased rapidly over the past few years- I am aware. I am the most paranoid being I know in Hinblick auf surveillance cameras and am way too privy the fact that they are everywhere, absolutely everywhere now, so I can promise that my eyes narrow in on most cameras that I am in the presence of when in public spaces these days. But holy shit. A camera right in my face, showing Heather’s view of me while showing my view of Heather as I fanaticize about looking her dead in the eyes but instead shield myself from further facial analyzation as possible is a step too far. Is this a step too far, or is this step simply highlighting how it is already way passed being a step too far? Ten years ago cameras were more strategically hidden; now they are right in our faces. We love the camera, and the camera really loves us too.
So yeah. It’s a step too far for sure, but we already have cameras everywhere, whether they are hidden away or in our pockets through the handy cellular device or though the watchful eye in our cars. The sheer blatancy is repealing, and has been a capstone personal scowl of mine. I find it troublesome to desire coffee but to have to shed a bit of data to receive it. Yes, data is also collected from using a bank card, I know, I know, I know. Data is everywhere. Data is EVERYWHERE! I’m just sick and tired of unwillingly providing it to corporations that make an astronomical amount of money off of my recorded presence. I didn’t mean to comply to this world; the trickery is apparent with the manipulation of the folks growing up within the internet boom, which resulted in social media and the further discovery of digital information and the money making potential behind it, which further resulted in a shadow society that continues its process of breaking down when the careless implementation of unlawful, unethical tech takes over the culture. Okay?? I know I’ve been tricked into being complacent- we all have. What will the wake up call be? Will there be a wake up call? I fear an adjustment is lackadaisical when competing with the alluring taste of the virtual world. Why should humans fall back instead of advancing forward and embracing all technology with open arms? Everything in the digital realm is valuable, yet we do not yet understand many ethical variations that must come with this brand new type of human behavior. We cannot become complacent to something we do not fully understand the implications, but we cannot act in such regard without experiencing the implications. I don’t want my data exposed. But I know it is exposed, it has been exposed, and it will continue to be exposed because of the extraordinarily loose grip that we have when it comes to realizing the power of the internet and the lawless land that it has become. These records will haunt us. These records are haunting us, but the ignorance and careless nature assigned when utilizing tech shine through and overpower the natural sense of self. The natural sense of remaining offline. The natural sense of physicality. The natural sense of being.
Ich bin überzeugt, dass soziale Medien schlecht für die Menschen sind. Ich glaube nicht, dass die Idee der sozialen Medien schlecht ist, denn verbunden zu sein ist eine gute Sache. Aber ich glaube, dass Big Tech das Internet verändert hat. Alles dreht sich jetzt um Werbung. Ich gehe auf Facebook und es gibt überall Werbung. Ich gehe auf Instagram und dort gibt es jetzt einen Shopping-Bereich. Sind diese sozialen Medien für mich oder für Big Tech, um Geld mit mir zu verdienen? Ich möchte die Menschen über die Moral hinter der Technologie aufklären
Das Produkt ist kostenlos. Ich muss mich fragen, warum? Das Geld kommt durch meine Interaktion. Das ist ein Problem, weil es keine Regulierung gibt. Demokratie ist gut, weil sie ein langsamer Prozess ist, aber Technologie ist schnell. Technologie bewegt sich viel schneller als die Regierung. Der alte CEO von Google sagte: “Wir bewegen uns viel schneller als jede Regierung.” Google weiß so viel über uns. Ich habe Angst vor den zukünftigen Konsequenzen. Daten werden an eine dritte Partei nach der anderen verkauft. Das Dark Web ist eine Sache und unsere Informationen werden dort gekauft und verkauft.
Ich traue also weder den sozialen Medien noch den Unternehmen, die diese betreiben. Die Daten werden gesammelt, und ich traue den Datensammelprogrammen nicht. Technologie verbessert sich aufgrund von Daten, aber einige Daten werden nicht benötigt. Sie werden aber immer noch gesammelt, weil sie Geld für Big Tech bringen. Ich bin mir nicht sicher, ob dies legal ist. Ich glaube, dass es eine bessere Gesetzgebung geben muss. Ich denke, dass die Menschen wissen müssen, was in der virtuellen Welt passiert. Wir können verstehen, dass sensible Daten im Besitz von Big Tech sind. Unsere virtuelle Welt ist mit unserer realen Welt verbunden. Nach der Pandemie sind die beiden Welten eine Welt. Wir verriegeln Tuern und Fenster, um Informationen zu schuetzen. Informationen sind Daten! Wir muessen es schuetzen.
Brief history of privacy and security concerns of German citizensin the Twentieth Century
Surveillance of people in the Third Reich
Control, oppression, manipulation is deeply rooted in the Nazi systems that were established
Surveillance of people in the German Democratic Republic
No privacy
Deviant behavior always punished
Surveillance of people deemed enemies of the state
Stasi
First data protection law in the world was passed in 1970 in the state of Hesse
In 1979 West Germany established what would become the Bundesdatenschutzgesetz (BDSG) (Federal Data Protection Act)
1980s – right to informational self determination, the right to allow or block the sharing of personal information
2. Privacy in the Technological Age
Shift from privacy from government to privacy from corporations
Distrust in private sector
The Internet
Suspicious of Big Tech
May 2018 – GDPR
Effect on EU
Effect of specifically Germany
More discretion over data
Changing of the BDSG
“Businesses operating in Germany have to ensure that data – an increasingly lucrative aspect of the tech business – is anonymized and stored in accordance with the law.”
The conveniences of tech suddenly thrust into our lives present a new world not yet experienced in our known human existence; a world where our emotions are directly affected by the number of likes and attention received online in a given day; a world where all of our privacy is surrendered, with little or no concern towards the issue. The rebuttal of “I have nothing to hide!” is exhausted and displays an ignorance on the subject of residual data[1] (“leftover” data). Our data- what we willingly and unwillingly give away to these websites- are worth more than we have been led to believe. We have all been successfully targeted by Big Tech as we become more and more complacent in their extraction of the data goldmine that is the everyday human. With the new wave of virtual life that has stemmed from the pandemic, the need for data education and better privacy practices is dire, especially in America, who is inexcusably far behind other world powers when it comes to the conversation of a citizen’s right to privacy.
The practice of data collection does not come to a surprise to many people in 2021. In fact, many folks have become used to the idea of giving an app or website personal information in exchange for the “free” service. Data collection is inevitable these days, and it really does make sense for a company to have the desire to understand their clientele better. However, it is the predictive power of data that is the actual goldmine. I like to think about the Kroger app and how great it is to be able to have a hub that includes my personal Kroger account with my shopping points, a grocery list section, and the ability to shop with my fingers and pickup the order without leaving my car just a few hours later. I voluntarily gave them my name, phone number, and credit card info in order to use their service, but this is not the concerning data I am talking about. (well, it is concerning data because it contains highly personal information that we hope the company will not (a) sell to third parties or (b) get hacked one day) My point here is that the data voluntarily given is only scratching the surface of data that is actually provided to these entities. The core ethical issue here is that the population is unaware of the data that is extracted from their simple usage of a technological thing and that there is no regulation behind these evil practices. Not only is this concerning from the standpoint of how valuable, how extraordinarily, unbelievably valuable this information is- data collection practices affect mass civilizations when there is not proper democratic control of the rampant indestructibility that Big Tech gains. Our democratic process falls behind the fast paced, ever changing tech world.
I personally do not want internet companies to have mass collection powers. What if this information gets into the wrong hands? We already know that data is sold to third party after third party after third party, and no one wants to take responsibility when information gets out. This issue must be resolved by democratic means. Applicable policies do not exist. (Yeah, okay, sure. We have “policy”[2] from the 1980s based on the movie War Games, PRE-Internet. They do not count). New policy and legislation must be implemented in order to protect the individual’s right to privacy. America is a country that promotes freedom and rights…why are we so far off the path of a healthy, protected virtual environment? As our offline and online selves increasingly become one, the need for virtual laws and rights is inevitable.
The PATRIOT ACT[3] ushered in a new chapter of the talk about privacy. September 11th allowed for mass implementation of surveillance programs, unbeknownst to the average American. America became a nation so rightfully terrified of terrorism that it felt the need to begin to ruthlessly spy on each and every citizen. CCTV popped up everywhere, cell phones became widely accepted and improved upon at a rate that would even leave Moore’s Law[4] speechless, computers became tinier and tinier as they merged with cell phones, and these little computers complete with an immensely powerful microphone and camera found themselves owned by millions of Americans with seemingly little hesitation to take on the new tech. Just like magic. I am twenty-two years old and I do not remember a life before 9/11- a life before the mass implementation of surveillance capitalism.
As I reflect upon the wide acceptance of Big Tech, I cannot help ponder over the information collected about me that I did not willing give away. Data is inevitable in the digital age, but ethical technology must be enforced in order to protect our digital future. Regulation must be enacted against data collected and the internet advertising that stems from it. My simple existence in this technological, data driven age is giving unethical tech companies too much money and power in a society that should be ruled by democratic law. Our democratic process is good because it takes time, but tech does not sit around and wait. Its advancement is seemingly unfathomable for our government to keep up with. There must be a change in consensus towards technology if we want our digital future to be protected instead of infringed upon by unethical tech. This can be achieved by promoting proper tech practices that help build increased awareness towards the realization of the true value of our data. This strategy of mass implementation of user awareness requires access to knowledge about the practices and measures that unethical tech legally gets away with, obtained by communication of these entities and what is actually happening with our information. This is deemed difficult, however, when these Big Tech companies hold the key to the services that we use to communicate in 2021. Obtain knowledge, spread this knowledge, and boycott mainstream media.
[1] Data that is left behind unknowingly from simple use of a service (clicks, location, etc.)
[3] “This act allowed various government agencies, such as law enforcement, intelligence agencies, and national security agencies to share data with one another. The law also allows law enforcement to get warrants in any jurisdiction where terrorism has occurred, conduct investigations without informing the suspect, and conduct electronic surveillance of suspects without their consent…The Act authorizes the government to access all communications of American citizens online, and has even been used to conduct surveillance against individuals who are not American citizens or who live abroad. The individuals most frequently targeted by the PATRIOT Act are people of colour, especially those who also identify as Muslim.” source
[4] Moore’s law is the observation that the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit doubles about every two years source
I’ll be blunt. It’s time to remove Google from your life.
Consider your social media usage and determine how it is affecting your real life. Consider deleting them. Sure, that’s easier said than done. But you will feel a hell of a lot better. Seriously.
Make a list of all of your accounts on the Internet. Delete the ones you no longer use. Change all the passwords of the ones you do use; each password must be complicated and different. Write them all down. Write them down again for a backup. Never digitize this information. We know that our offline selves are increasingly becoming our online selves. Protect your information and treat it like it’s tangible and real. Because it is. Set up two factor authentication, especially for personal accounts such as banking and website hosting.
Use a VPN. Always always always. Your internet service provider is selling your internet history to third parties. These third parties know more about you than you will ever know.
Remain anonymous. It’s your power.
Understand the influence of your actions online. Understand that the Internet is forever. Understand that your definition of “valuable data” is extraordinarily different from Facebook’s definition. Everything you do online is valuable. Contain yourself and you will see results.
All of this is time consuming. Do not let this frighten you. This undoing of our online selves is crucial to a secure and private Internet. But we will not obtain this security if we continue down the path of being mesmerized by Big Tech. Reject it. Untangle yourself. The simplicity of life will surely return.
“No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.”
Should social media have legal protections?
Why do we protect social media with Section 230? Why are they not accountable?
It’s time to overthrow the Communications Decency Act. We are relying on an act from 1996 to dictate our Internet today.
We sacrifice everything with the advancement of Big Tech. Will we ever live in a privacy prominent world?
Welcome to 2021. They are watching you, and they are everywhere.
Google has not always been here. And Google will not always be here.
For an entire hour on December 14th, 2020, Google services stopped working. Think about it- Google makes up a good chunk of the internet and how we live. How have we arrived at this moment of pure ignorance when it comes to understanding Big Tech’s dominance over our lives? Have we arrived at this understanding? Will we in due time? Or ever, for that matter?
2020 ushered in a new chapter of our technological selves. Working and schooling from home removed the burden of our physical selves but allowed for (arguably way too quickly) an allowance of a form of communication that is not properly understood by the public at large.
We must fight for an understanding of future implications. We do not know what will happen to this data that we so willingly provide in exchange for a “free service.” A free service, I must add, that we were fine without.
The conveniences suddenly thrust into our lives presents to us a new world like none other offered in our known existence; a world where our emotions are directly affected by the amount of likes and attention received online in a given day. A world where all of our privacy is surrendered. The rebuttal of nothing to hide is exhausted and lacks real knowledge of the larger issue at hand. The truth is that our data is worth more than we will ever know. However, the amount to measure it by is foreign to our minds, since we personally see no value in the data from everyday errands, but to big tech, this is a predictive behavior goldmine. And they make way too much money from it.
When was the last time that you were not tracked? Adjusting to the new pandemic world and an adaption to the merge of offline and online selves.
The sudden pandemic has allowed for our offline lives to merge with our online lives more than ever before. We are forced to remain immobile and complete routine activities via the virtual world. As our technological future continues to unfold into this merging of selves via the unprecedented state of emergency, the golden question becomes somewhat clearer: do you prefer privacy or convenience?
Even though the question becomes more apparent with the sudden increase in virtual activity, the answer could not be construed at a more difficult time. As we Zoom with professors and work from home, we are doing our part by attempting to corral the pandemic. We are simultaneously surrendering a previously offline version of our lives to websites and software that can use this information as they please. Remember, you do not own your data. Personal information is being collected more than ever before, so it is of the upmost importance to be weary and mindful of what you share online.
Think back for a second. When was the last time that your personal information was not collected? When was the last time you left your cell phone at home? Does your car have a GPS in it? Are you wearing any type of tech, such as a smartwatch? Because of the cool tech in exchange for an over collection of our data, we have become desensitized to what is personal to us and what is not. The development of the internet has shown a vast change in the desire to contain anonymity online into our own type of personal doxing that is executed when we provide companies and websites with data, either relevant or irrelevant to the product, whether we are knowing or not. Technology is not a bad thing, but it must be used in a privacy preserving manner in order to secure our digital future.
We are already tracked dry. These companies have already taken so much of what we were led to believe was private and secure. With the new wave of virtual life that has stemmed from the pandemic, the need for encryption and privacy and security for Americans is dire.
SpaceX has even banned its employees from working via Zoom, citing immense security flaws.
“Covid-19 tracing” is understandable to control the crazy situation that the world is in. But don’t we have rights? What are our rights? Technology and government are blurry and coagulated and a total mess. Now is the time to take control of your virtual self and understand the implications of the allowance of your data to run wild.
We are always told to change our passwords. It’s become a type of second nature in the digital age- or at least it should be by now. The notion of changing passwords frequently has been pounded into our heads to a point where it becomes exhausting and a type of rebellion against authority to not comply. (or some people simply do not care and do not believe that it matters) But what does not complying with this tech advice actually result in? You and your data are at extreme risk, making it matter so much more than initially digested. The common mistake is waiting too long to take preventative measures, i.e waiting for the cyber attack to happen to you. Measures can be taken now to prevent data from being stolen.
Data is more valuable than we have been led to believe. Just how valuable? Every thing from our faces to our conversations are scrapped and sold to advertisers.
The offline and the online are gradually merging. Protect your online identity like its your offline one. You wouldn’t leave your house unlocked.
How to be a Responsible Internet User:
Make a list of all your internet accounts – On a personal note, this one was relatively easy for me, especially because I had all of my passwords stored in my Google Account before I took these steps. I simply obtained the master list and deleted the accounts that I no longer have a use for. If you do not have a list of your online accounts stored anywhere, try to remember and write down as many as you can.
Delete the ones no longer needed – Doing this enables the user to have a better understanding and control over what information has been utilized from accounts that are no longer needed. There’s no point for them to exist if they are not being utilized.
Make an offline list on pen and paper of all your remaining identities – Write down each username and password. This will give you a structure for your new password list that will be created.
Create secure passwords for each one – Toss out the old, common passwords that you are used to. Each secure password should be a combination of upper case and lower case letters, symbols, and numbers. Every password should be unique.
Write down the account information again, this time in two separate notebooks – This is your official username and password document, which should be treated as extremely sensitive and important. Store safely.
Set up two factor authentication (at least for the most important and sensitive accounts) – 2FA is needed more than ever in this digital age. The utilization of 2FA adds an extra layer of protection if someone is trying to break into your account. For example, anytime someone logs into my Amazon account, I receive a text asking me to enter a code to confirm that the account should be rightfully accessed. A more in depth article highlighting the importance of 2FA will be written in the coming weeks.
Add each new account created to this list – Keeping up with newly created accounts is important. Documenting new information as soon as possible is crucial in order to keep your master list up to date.
A password manager is can also be utilized. This is a way to store your passwords on your device securely with one master password. Strong passwords are generated, which saves human time and effort. However, having one master password can be dangerous, since the knowledge of it can grant access to an array of information on the user. Use password managers with caution, just like how you should make an offline master list with caution. These lists of sensitive information grow in relevance daily as our offline and online worlds collide. It’s time to take the essential steps to securing yourself online by organizing and varying your passwords in a smart way that achieves the base level password standards that have come to be set in 2020.
