I willingly give up my privacy everyday. All before I even read what I’m being asked. It is a well-known joke in my generation that we all have a CIA agent that watches us through our phones. When I see those two buttons, “Allow” and “Don’t Allow,” I automatically allow it. Do I know what information of mine that they are taking from me? No, but I know I am not being inconvenienced. I knew there was some level of tracking and going through my searches happening, but the mindlessness of it all outweighed the hassle of reading policies or adjusting settings. I know I’ve given up a lot of agency because it makes my life easier for the moment.
For example, I use the Notes app, which is a cloud-based writing tool, all the time. It’s all about convenient, I can access my writing from anywhere, and the app is already built into my phone. Do I know that every keystroke is stored somewhere beyond my devices? Yes, but I’ve chosen convenience over control, even though that means I’m sacrificing my privacy.
Double Thinking My Choices
Kim explaining “appropriate information flows” made me realize I accept inappropriate ones easily. I let apps track my habits so I can get personalized recommendations. Allowing platforms to suggest ads based on what I’ve searched up. I tell myself it’s worth it because it saves me time, but I know I’m allowing my data to circulate in ways I don’t fully understand. I believe there is nothing I can do to truly stop this. We live in a capitalist society where every company wants to know what you like, what you want, and what you don’t like in order to know what to push you to buy.
Question All Platforms
Even platforms that I think are trustworthy and talk about how they don’t sell your data eventually do. They go behind your back, and they do it anyway, and they put in the terms and conditions that “hey, we will sell this eventually but not right now.” A big one that I remember was when I was doing one of those ancestry.com websites where you send out your DNA to see where you’re from. Did I think it was the best idea to send out my DNA out via the mail? No, but in my head the government and all the corporations already have everything they needed. They have my fingerprint and my face scan just from me upgrading my phones over the years. In my head I thought, “What’s going to happen differently if I send out a little DNA?”
Those websites tell you that you can delete your account and all your information will be scrubbed from their networks. Just so later they can say that even deleted accounts we still save that information, and we’re going to sell it to a bigger corporation under the guise of protecting their customers, but it is just them wanting to make more money. The ease I feel from not having to look at the bigger picture is seductive. I like how smooth and curated my digital experience feels. I know it comes at a big price. The price I’m paying is surrendering my privacy.
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