Reading Response: Why Privacy Matters
Most people would probably say they are exempt from being watched by the government online. I myself have always felt this way being an ordinary college student who uses the internet for school related sites, email, social media, and other sites I would deem harmless. I see myself as “normal” therefore have the idea that the government would not waste their time tracking me.
After seeing “CitizenFour,” the movie chronicling Edward Snowden’s story, and more recently the Ted Talk “Why Privacy Matters” by Glenn Greenwald, who was also a key part of Snowden’s story, I began to rethink my exempt status from being surveilled. I think every person is at risk for having his or her privacy compromised. But Greenwald’s Ted Talk helped me see beyond the surface issue of having my private online information looked at.
Even with the argument of if you are doing nothing wrong there is nothing to hide, Greenwald claims our actions negate that. For instance, even the people who agree with that argument would not hand over their computer and allow a stranger to look through it. If we are now aware that indeed the government has the ability to track anyone with internet access, why do we not put up more of a fight.
It has now been years since Edward Snowden’s revelations came out yet it seems we have accepted the risk of being monitored comes with the territory of using the internet. That privacy has been given up so easily. Greenwald argues in his talk that when we allow ourselves to be monitored we are allowing a freedom to be taken. This surveillance, he says, creates a society of obedience and compliance. Not fighting this issue creates a much larger one being we are allowing ourselves to surrender to higher power.
Just because we cannot see ourselves being watched does not mean it isn’t happening. I think this is partially why people don’t question the NSA more on this issue is because of the notion it would never happen to me. While I understand why more people like Edward Snowden have not come out, I will be interested to see how we as citizens fight this in the future.
