The Realities and Ramifications of Data Privacy in the Modern Era

We live in a time where humans are more connected by digital devices, making our world more digitally connected than it was years ago when there were more physical interactions, but with the advent of these devices, our interactions online are no longer a secret. Our conversations are being monitored by not just the government but some private entities, and this realization has sparked diverse concerns among users. On one side, we've got those who believe it's a step ahead towards combating insecurity and cybercrime; on the other, they see it as an infringement of privacy that fosters distrust. In truth, both are right, but today I'd love to share my opinion on this with you.

Firstly, before I delve into my choice between both, I'll first love to take a look into the positivity that lies in both, and thereafter I'll delve into my stands. So to start with, talking about having our data accessible to some set of people, this can be a good thing in a way, especially given the fact that most companies can utilize this data to tailor advertisements and prompt them to show to you to meet your taste and present need, and we've seen this play out on several occasions as we snuff through the internet.

I can remember a few months ago I was chatting with my brother about how I wanted to purchase a home theater and bicycle, and before you know it, leaving the chat to snuff through the internet on other platforms, all the ads I see recommended to me are literally on home theater and bicycle, and it helps bring what I'm looking for to my doorstep in the sense that I don't have to go through the stress of wondering when I can locate such items, and via this recommendation I can now check out each of the websites to locate the best product and rate that suits my budget.

Aside from being effective in this aspect, it's also an effective tool that can easily help the security agent and the government track down criminals from all walks of life. Since data is being monitored, it makes it easier to quickly detect whoever is involved in cybercrime, planning a heist with their gang, or, better yet, gives security information in handy to curb criminal plans being laid down on the internet even before they've been executed.

Despite how good all that sounds, there are downsides to it, and one of them is identity theft. It's no longer news that security agents and other staff of organizations that have access to our data are thieves in disguise, and on many occasions, we've seen a situation where, due to the access this organization has to our data, they can go on to see our potential multimillionaire deal and steal our identity and the information they've got of us to divert the funds to their own accounts.

That's not forgetting that there are many people whose ideas and research have been stolen from them based on these infringements of privacy, which have given some people the power to access other people's private data and, in the process, steal their lifelong research ideas for their own personal gain.

Other situations are when our personal information is used for evil purposes by those who have access to our data and, in the end, indulge in evil acts in our names, and when it's time to apprehend the offender, we'll be the ones arrested because such is done in our name. All of this downside is one of the reasons why many are against the idea of their data being spied on by others; in fact, this is against democratic principles and is an obvious act of capitalism sugarcoated under democracy by the government.

Despite the good side of having our data accessible to the government and some private entities, I'm still not a fan of it, and my reasons for that aren't far-fetched. For instance, it's been ages since the government has access to our data, yet we still have loads of criminal activities being executed on a daily basis. It's more like they only infringe on our privacy to oppress us than to utilize it for the right course.

Had many kidnappers, cybercriminals, and terrorists been apprehended in the past based on their private data available to security agents, then I would have supported the course, but none have ever been tracked down with this medium, leaving me to wonder the actual purpose of why they're spying on our privacy if not for this.

The good news, though, is that we can at least have some form of privacy if we truly cherish having our information confided to ourselves alone, and one way to do that is by not allowing all websites and apps that seek our consent to access our private data and share it with other apps. We can also turn it off in the settings of some apps, and another way is by turning on encryption. That way, our data is encrypted and safeguarded from being accessed by others.

We can also use some decentralized apps that won't share our data with anyone, thereby making our information safer and only accessible to ourselves. Another option could be just saving important information manually with handy physical tools like pens and biros, or if paraventure requires us to use digital devices, then writing in codes that we'll be the only ones to deduce or decode is the best way forward.

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That's about all of my opinion on this subject matter. I hope you enjoyed the read and learned from my opinion. Do you have a wonderful day and stay blessed?

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