The State of Privacy in 2013
An insightful infographic by HostGator depicts the state of privacy in 2013.
From George Orwell’s novel, 1984.
The infographic draws attention to the similarity of current privacy to the totalitarian state of privacy described in George Orwell’s classic, 1984, which was published in 1949. Orwell portrays a society in which an oppressive government monitors and controls every aspect of human life. In 1984, Big Brother is the perceived ruler of Oceania who never actually materializes but is constantly present. Posters of his face let citizens know that “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING” and his image is stamped on coins and broadcast on screens that are impossible to avoid.
Similarly, in our current year of 2013, our actions on the internet can be viewed, tracked and monitored by individuals, government and marketers. In many cases, there is no obvious evidence that we are being watched but many of us know we are being tracked or watched anyway; it’s hard to deny our lack of privacy and the similarities to the year 1984 in Orwell’s story. Between social media and advancing technology, we appear to be approaching a Big Brother-type of state when it comes to our online activities.
1984 in 2013: Privacy and The Internet via HostGator
Let me draw your attention to the staggering statistics of what people are doing on Facebook. The eye-opening data leads me to one of two conclusions. Either many people don’t care about privacy or they don’t understand the consequences of their own online actions and the actions of others that are privy to that information.
Do you have any thoughts or opinions after reviewing the infographic? I think it’s a rude invasion of privacy when Gmail emails are scanned for keywords to deliver relevant advertising to users. How do you feel about it?
Until next time,… Stay Cyber safe!
What can we do to stop Gmail and Facebook from using our personal info? Start a social media site that DOESN’T require this stuff and you’ll be an overnight sensation.
When it comes to Gmail, I choose to avoid using it for anything confidential. When it comes to Facebook, I pay close attention to my privacy settings and I verify them occasionally to make sure they’re still working the way they’re supposed to be working. I assume anything I put on Facebook can ultimately be seen by anyone regardless of privacy settings. If that’s a problem for me, then I know I must refrain from posting the photo or update. Privacy as we used to know it is over, but why worry about Gmail or Facebook violating our privacy when so many of us are happily violating our own privacy with the abundant personal information and photos we share ourselves?
Actually, several social alternatives exist that do not abuse our personal information. Unfortunately, since the whole point of a social site is to use the same one your friends use, those alternatives have not become “overnight sensations.” – I’m thinking of Diaspora* (joindiaspora.com) and Glassboard (glassboard.com)