As time goes on, the balance between privacy and convenience is constantly evolving. Currently, technology has become intertwined with nearly every aspect of our lives. While I value my privacy, I recognize the benefits of certain trade-offs. For example, I am willing to share some information on social media platforms to stay connected with friends and family. I am also willing to share limited personal data for services like tailored recommendations or streamlined exxperiences that cater to my individual preferences. I just mostly have a problem with how that data is collected. If I am constantly searching a topic on Google, I don’t think much of it when I see an advertisement on my phone later that day. However, my concern comes from when I am having a private conversation, not even on the phone, about a specific topic, and then I see an advertisement about that exact same thing later. It happens too often to be a mere coincidence, so I honestly get a little scared about the access that these companies and the powers that be have to my privacy.
I don’t even think that there is a willingness to surrender your privacy at all. If you have a phone or technological device, it just comes with the access to your personal information, even if you click “ask app not to track.” I feel like if you live off the grid or something then you have a bit more control and power over your privacy, but that is not realistic for the average person.
I feel like if the world does reach the dystopian stage that is portrayed in films and novels, it will most likely stem from an outrageous breach of civilian privacy. Right now, they’re just using our data for simple things like advertisements, but I definitely think that it’s only going to get worse and we will not have any control over it.