Week 10: Privacy and Surveillance

You may or may not be glad to hear that I've gotten off my soapbox following the last post's excessive rant and that it has been safely stored away. On that note, let's begin.

Privacy and surveillance have always been worrying for people. Nobody likes it when a stranger knows their every move, as there are plenty of things you wouldn't ordinarily want others to know about, such as going to the bathroom or getting intimate (That's what sex tapes are for... Joking! Joking!) The rise of the internet has exacerbated this, as personal information as well as embarrassing or incriminating photos and videos can be accessed by almost anyone online. There are even sites that run on this principle.The link below discusses a site called Is Anyone Up, which allows people to post explicit photos and videos of their ex lovers, as well as link to their social media accounts. (No, I have not been on the Is Anyone Up site, and I am not linking to it, so don't ask. You can go on it yourself, if you absolutely must.)
http://blogs.metro.co.uk/tech/revenge-porn-the-disturbing-but-predictable-conclusion-to-sexting/

The reading discusses a statement made by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in 2010 who declared the death of privacy. I would argue that while Facebook has played a role in the erosion of our online privacy, the statement feels like a hyperbole from Zuckerberg, who could merely be aiming for a soundbite comparable to the Beatles' infamous "Bigger than Jesus". I would argue that Twitter has contributed more, due to the 140 character limit lending itself to bite-size posts, whereas to my knowledge, Facebook has no such limit, or if there is one, it's higher. Twitter was adopted by celebrities describing almost every aspect of their lives in minute detail, from the extraordinary (Lady Gaga announces new tour!) to the mundane (Lady Gaga had cornflakes for breakfast.) Ordinary people were granted a portal into the lives of their idols behind closed doors, and now lay folk use Twitter for similar purposes.

Wacks believes that privacy will not go away completely, but it does need constant monitoring and regeneration. As he puts it, "The invaders are at the gate, but the citadel will not fall without a struggle." Personally, I would agree with the statement, as people often get uncomfortable about increased security camera presence in public areas, and there is no reason why internet usage should be no different.

 The evolution of the internet towards social media has given rise to a peculiar paradox. We want ever increasing access to the lives of others, yet we also do not want other people having access to our own private information. How this paradox resolves itself in the future will be interesting, yet potentially frightening to see.

Bonus Material
Battle for the Internet: A week long feature on the Guardian's website detailing the struggle over control of the internet from various countries, governments and factions. Varied articles from representatives of internet heavyweights Google and Facebook, academics such as Clay Shirkey and many more promise an interesting read.  http://view.mail.guardian.co.uk/?j=ff321d727566&m=fe8a1570706c0d7a72&ls=fe5815727d6302747116&l=ff69177076&s=fe9716737d67047a74&jb=ff60107573&ju=fecb11737460017f&CMP=EMCLIFTXT16821I&r=0

Sources

• McStay, A. (2011) The Mood of Information (New York: Continuum)
• Wacks, R. (2010) Privacy: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford: Oxford University Press)