QOTW6: Privacy = Leave Me Alone!

Imagine for a second that when you are making a private phone call to your significant other, and someone listens on your conversation. Or worse, people actually know your exact location, that your mobile phone has become a mini homing beacon. Sounds like something you would see only in movies? But with today's technology advancement, these issues are no longer science fiction. We are being watched, whether we like it or not.

WHAT IS PRIVACY?

Privacy is to keep one's life or personal affairs out of the prying eyes of the public and/or to control the amount of information disclosed (Privacy, 2007). However, with the advent of the Internet today, especially when information is being exhanged constantly, the term of privacy has become somewhat vague and difficult to define. The nearest thing to consensus is, "Privacy is just to be left alone."(Sullivan, 2006)

Online, the issue of privacy has become so prevalent that the use of anonymity and pseudonymity have become a staple to ensure one's privacy in the online community.

NEGOTIATING TRUST...

Privacy, however can be used as a currency to buy trust, the trust so crucially needed to maintain online relationships. With the Internet, we are increasingly faced with situations where we are forced to interact with people we never met face-to-face before. In order to start or maintain a relationship with these people online, we are constantly feeling the pressure to disclose private information of ourselves to make up for the loss of cues that aid in "trustworthiness" in face-to-face interactions (Rosen, 2004).

Personally, I can relate to it as I am a member of the popular social networking web site, Friendster. In order to make new friends, I would certainly have to disclose something personal about myself to seem more sincere and genuine. Or in this case, trustworthy enough. Like wise, I would expect the same in return.

PRIVACY IN THE REAL WORLD...

With the popularity of mobile phones, the issue of privacy has become an even bigger problem especially with the introduction of mobile phones equipped with cameras. This has made the invasion of one's privacy even more convenient. Alot more convenient.

While news of this is known to everyone, people are still ignorant to the invasive and dangerous these cameras can be (Sullivan, 2006). Take for example photos, of women exposing their underwear publicly, that were plastered online, apparently taken by some perverts with their camera mobile phones. Or photos posted online of people on the MRT behaving in less-than-courteous ways.

These images can be both damaging and incriminating. My advice for people out there? Be cautious of people around you behaving suspicious with their camera phones. Or better yet, just don't do something embarassing or stupid in public that you won't want others to see.

OTHER EXAMPLES:

The work place, too, is not spared. Though it might be illegal, you will never know who's listening in on your private conversations or going through your e-mails. My mum has had a brush with that experience at work with a "I'm-more-interested-in-gossip-than-my-work" boss. Well, at least she suspected she was being monitered. The best way out of this situation is just to have private conversations on your private mobile phone and not with your office phone. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

However, on the other side of the spectrum, there are people who explicitly exhibit their private lives through their personal blogs. Though not to the extent that they tell the entire online community their credit card number. But enough to make it seem like we have known these bloggers for years. Like for example, the pseudo-celebrity Xiaxue who gave us explicit accounts of her recent nose job, with pictures, no less!

CONCLUSION...

To conclude, the topic of privacy is very objective to different people. To some, they think that being monitored is nothing to be worried about because they have nothing to hide. To others, even with the knowledge that their lives might be observed, they still live their lives assuming a "mythical level of privacy"(Sullivan, 2006). I would like to end with one last example of privacy, or the invasion of it. The reality show, Big Brother. Where contestants of the show, who are staying under one roof, are filmed 24/7, even during baths and toilet breaks. This is a gross exggeration of how one's privacy can be invaded.









So to all out there, please becareful with what you do. Big Brother is watching...










REFERENCES:

Privacy (7th March, 2007). In Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved on 8th March, 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Privacy&oldid=113354124

Rosen, J. (19th July, 2004). "The Naked Crowd". Retrieved on 8th March, 2007 from http://www.spiked-online.com/Printable/0000000CA5FF.htm

Sullivan, B. (17th October, 2006). "Privacy Lost: Does Anyone Care?". Retrieved on 8th March, 2007 from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15221095/print/1/displaymode/1098/