We’ve gotten used to a world where privacy is becoming more and more of an elusive concept. We can go through our days without having to worry too much about who’s watching us or what information we’re being exposed to.
The number of people with access to our personal data will only continue to grow as technology advances, so maybe it’s time for us all to prepare for a world where privacy is no longer possible.
However, if you want your life to be private in the future, it might be time to start thinking about that now. Here’s why:
Your Smart Devices Are Spying On You
Many of us have smart devices in our homes like Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and even Internet-connected appliances. These products are convenient to use, but others can use the data they collect about your day for various purposes.
For instance, it’s not difficult to imagine a future where insurance companies are using this data against you to price your premiums. Just because you didn’t step on the scales that day or happened to watch a depressing movie doesn’t mean it wouldn’t affect how much they think you can afford and charge you accordingly.
Your Smartphones Are Also Spying On You
As mentioned, you might not even be aware of how much your smartphone is spying on you. Just think of all the apps you have installed and how many permissions they have: they can see what websites you visit, access your microphone or camera at any time, and much more.
It’s effortless to let these things slip by without thinking about what you agree to. Still, as smart devices become even more prevalent in our lives and apps continue to grow in abilities, we should be paying closer attention.
Government Surveillance Is Becoming All Too Common
The thing is that the government already has a lot of ways of snooping on us. From wiretapping to warrants for phone records, it’s not difficult for them to monitor what we’re doing.
We may feel like we have nothing to hide, but that doesn’t change that this is a significant violation of our privacy and violates the fourth amendment. It will only continue as technology progresses and make it easier for the government to spy on us.
The Security Of Our Devices And Data Is Not Guaranteed
As we saw with millions of Yahoo users, we can’t trust the companies that store our data to keep it secure. It was recently revealed that hackers could breach their servers and gain personal information from over 500 million accounts.
Your phone might be encrypted, but it can still be hacked, and if the company doesn’t have good security measures, your data could end up in the wrong hands.
Whenever there’s a breach of personal information, we’re told to change our passwords or email accounts, so why is nothing done about companies that are careless with our data?
It would be nice if there were a way to know which companies we can trust, but for now, it’s best to take every breach seriously and try to reduce the amount of damage that can be done.
Fake News Has Led To Unreliable Sources
The world of journalism has changed in recent years. It was once seen as a reputable career path where you could make a living while doing work that you actually cared about, but now it’s become more business-driven.
The constant push for profits has led to click-bait headlines and news stories where the facts aren’t always correct. The internet has created a world in which anyone can say anything they want without accountability, so we have to learn how to tell the difference.
The Future Of Privacy Is Creepy
We may not want to think about a future where it’s impossible to escape our privacy being invaded by anyone with an internet connection, but this is the direction we’re headed.
The thing is that some people have started thinking ahead and have already created products to help us maintain our privacy.
For example, some products can encrypt your messages or Snapchat lenses that blur your face so others can’t see who you are.
Although these options aren’t perfect, they give some insight into how we might protect ourselves in the future.
While it’s not necessarily something you want to think about, we’re going to have to get used to living in a world where privacy is nearly impossible.
However, there are still ways you can protect your personal information, so it’s probably a good idea to take precautions now when things could become even more difficult in the future.
How It Impacts Your Life
Many people have different ideas about what privacy means and how it can impact our lives, so I want to look at a few things that seem to be universal.
Loss of Control – We don’t like the government tracking us because it’s out of our control. We don’t know who has access to our data and what they’re doing with it.
Our privacy allows us to control information about ourselves to decide who gets access and under what circumstances. If you believe that freedom is a right of every individual, invasion of privacy can be seen as an infringement on one’s rights.
Self-Understanding – I think this is a big one we don’t hear about as much. When you’re constantly being watched, it’s hard to have any privacy or understanding of yourself. The reason is that your actions and how others perceive them can be influenced by who’s watching you and their reasons for doing so.
If I were on a date with someone, knowing that the government is watching me might make me act differently around here, depending on what I want them to see. It’s tough to be yourself when you don’t know who is watching and who they are.
Self-Expression – In terms of the things we say, it can be argued that self-expression isn’t a right, but it’s certainly a part of freedom.
If you aren’t allowed to express yourself, you’re being forced to abandon certain things about yourself for fear of negative consequences.
Whether self-expression or expression in general, we are all entitled to the freedom of speech, and privacy helps us exercise that right.
Happiness – This may seem funny, but feeling like you can be yourself without the fear of being watched is a big part of emotional happiness.
In our daily lives, we all want to feel safe no matter what we’re doing, and privacy helps give us that security.
What You Can Do To Protect Your Privacy
You can do some things to help protect your privacy now, but there are also things you can do to prepare for a future with no privacy.
At the very least, you should be using secure messaging apps and researching what products or services will work best in the future by trying them out. If nothing else, it’ll give you some insight into what you might like to use in the future.
Start Using Encrypted Messaging Apps – Despite some of the flaws and limitations, using encrypted messaging apps isn’t a bad idea just because they could be shut down at any moment. If there’s one thing everyone should try out, it’s Signal Private Messenger.
It’s completely free, easy to use, and I’d argue better than most of the other options out there. The best part is that you can always have it with you, whether it’s on your phone or computer.
Do Research on Products – If you haven’t heard about the Blackphone or how Samsung phones now come encrypted by default, you should look into it.
So far, I like what Blackphone has to offer, and Google makes the Pixel, so that should mean good things for their encryption.
Look for Alternatives – There are many alternatives on how you can communicate with people that do not rely on centralized servers.
One such alternative would be using BitTorrent Sync to share files with other people or through Sia’s decentralized data storage website.
Start Thinking About A World Without Privacy – It’s not hard to imagine what our world may look like in the future, and it’s not all good. After reading this article, you might start to realize how vulnerable we are and how in control of our privacy the government could be.
At some point, a drastic change may need to happen for us to protect ourselves from those who wish harm on us, and that’s not an easy thing to do especially if they have the power to take your money with little consequence.
It’s best if you prepare for the worst outcome. If we can’t stop those who wish to access our information, then be as safe as possible with how you store and share your data.
Do You Think We’ll Have No Privacy in the Future?
There will always be some privacy no matter how hard they try to take it from us. The government might get some information, but there will always be a way around it, whether through encryption, alternative communication methods, or something else entirely.
Even if you don’t agree with everything, hopefully, you found this article interesting and informative enough to share with others.
