Post #7: Is Privacy Really Private?

According to the Merriam- Webster Dictionary by definition, privacy means the quality or state of being apart from company or observation and freedom from unauthorized intrusion. Privacy literally means having the freedom to protect what you do and when you do it without the interference of others. In todays world, we are constantly being watched, filmed, and monitored on a daily basis. From watching the TED talks in class, the realization hit me that we are not really granted our own freedom to privacy at all. Once you step foot outside, a picture of you could be taken by the next cop car that passes you or you could be going about your everyday life without even realizing that your phone and your  Amazon Alexa is constantly listening in on your every word. The constant observation from the outside world should affect us and our lives drastically, instead we are often blinded by the obstruction of our own privacy. 

I know that for me, I do not even like to go out in public places and socialize, let alone be secretly recorded by those of higher power. The government has so much power over you and those around you. Sometimes I feel like we should be asking ourselves do we actually have the freedom that is promised to us within The First Amendment? I believe that the government is doing right by all of the constant surveillance, but I believe that that surveillance should not be used on those who do not deserve it and that ability to watch and listen to someone daily, should not be abused by using it on the "innocent."

Even though we are allowed to speak up and have a voice against the government and the decisions that they make for us, the constant monitoring is never going to stop, in fact, it is probably going to get even more advanced in the future. So how can we, as American citizens, protect ourselves from the government? We can find loopholes like using a fake email account to log into apps and websites. We can limit the amount of time we use things like Amazon Alexa's and Echo Dots. There are many ways to protect yourself from the continual supervision of the government, but it is all up to you and if you are willing to go the extra mile to secure your safety as an American citizen.