Is There Such A Thing As Privacy?
By Artemeis
@artemeis (4194)
China
November 14, 2012 12:20am CST
I am not sure how true this recent article is about Google releasing private details of its Gmail account holders to the federal agencies. Now if this is true, I have to really say that I am alarmed and disappointed.
In the light of the high profile resignation of the CIA chief over his adultery, it seems like details of his affairs were actually released from his personal Gmail account.
I do not know about you, but I feel that there is no such thing as privacy in America and that you can never trust cloud computing where governments can actually compel such organizations into releasing vital information stored with them.
So, I believe it will really be back to the old school of data storage especially vital and sensitive materials. But, top on the concern list would be that there's no such thing as total freedom and privacy here. If you think you can trust establishments like Google or similar, you might just be going to get a shocking surprise here.
Reference:
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/13/tech/web/google-transparency-reward/index.html
2 people like this
10 responses
@beenice2 (2967)
• Sackville, New Brunswick
14 Nov 12
Well I do believe that no there is not really any privacy online. If our e-mail cannot be protected really it become more scary to send personnal info. I think it is probably safer to send our mail trough snail mail, do things more from the landline phones, and or go directly to the personn you want to talk too if possible. Facebook is one that I don't trust much,I see people writing a lot on them about private stuff, and put too much of where they live, anyway that is what I do think.
1 person likes this
@artemeis (4194)
• China
15 Nov 12
There's really some cause of concern here especially when everything about us is actually being stored in the net in some way or another.
Starting with our personal email (web based) accounts right down to the latest cloud computing which a lot of us are and will be relying on with the latest onslaught of tablets and smartphones. I have always thought that such data would be respected and that the service providers would be more pro-client than some unruly bureaucracy.
I can understand about Facebook or any social networking media which is mean to be wide open due to its need for openness to facilitate networking at all levels. Going back to old school would be impractical especially snail mail which till today has proven to be equally unreliable.
I feel that this is realism and that whatever is being preached about freedom or liberty or even privacy is invalid here.
@Angelpink (4035)
• Philippines
14 Nov 12
Oh my this is so sad ! Where to keep then our fragile files ? If we place very sensitive files in computer that only dangers our reputation , our personality, our name and our life. So better no longer save our sensitive files there because it is not a guarantee that it won't be opened because we have so many brilliants Software programmer that we have now , nothing is impossible for them. I guess , just use computer for some other significant purposes but not saving sensitive documents.
1 person likes this
@artemeis (4194)
• China
14 Nov 12
In this incident, there's something more effective than a brilliant software programmer which is simply a piece of court order and all your personal correspondences will be released.
I suppose we would need to rely on our external disk drives or thumb drives for our personal and private collections. However, I am still unable to get over the fact that our personal email correspondences could be easily compromised by some court order.
@therealmaryyy (3162)
• Philippines
14 Nov 12
PRIVACY is a choice. You need to keep it private, if you want privacy. If you really want, you need to choose your choices. Choose wisely. You can't trust everybody.
but her in the Internet, ONCE you post something, even if you delete it... it is already save in the SERVER.
Have you seen discovery? ;-)
1 person likes this
@artemeis (4194)
• China
14 Nov 12
Here's the thing, do you expect your emails or digital photo albums to be accessed by government agencies at the whim of a suspicion or allegation?
Do you have a choice not to use email?
If you cannot, then you need to consider how you will be able to freely write and express yourself with this media when it is unable to protect your privacy.
@WakeUpKitty (8694)
• Netherlands
14 Nov 12
No there is not. Especially not if you start joining the internet. People can find out everything about you. Not only what you are telling (name, addres, phone number etc) but also your mail, the IP adr of the computer you use, etc etc.
If you want to have more privacy be careful on the internet, don't take a bankaccount or use bankcards, pay cash in shops etc.
1 person likes this
@artemeis (4194)
• China
14 Nov 12
Unlike internet banking which is basically a financial tool, you can be assured with the established banking laws that will protect your monies in their establishments. In this incident, it is clear that your personal email correspondences are not safe from your government's scrutiny along with your information in social networking sites or digital photo storage hosts.
There's a cause for concern when the lawmakers are actually bold enough to go into the private and personal email account of a high government official, so what more for one of yours or mine. It may sound that there's some formal procedure to prevent any abuse but can we be assured when we could never see and know if there has been an abuse like being hacked or stolen identity.
@kokomo (1867)
• Philippines
14 Nov 12
I am not that so much attached on my Gmail account even if I had an account there. I did not even try to reopen it until such time that I registered there. I am always using Yahoo as my email account because it is more popular then gmail in here. If that's the case then I also agree that there is no privacy anymore on that site.
1 person likes this
@graysky (132)
• Philippines
14 Nov 12
privacy?well,if u want to keep something private dont put it on the net.people nowadays tend to put every details of their lives on the net,blogs,fb,twitter etc..and then got surprise and ask about privacy?haha!..if u want to keep your life private keep it away from the net.
1 person likes this
@artemeis (4194)
• China
14 Nov 12
Are you telling me that you do not use email?
If you had read the article then you would have realized what I am discussing about. Unlike Facebook or other social networking sites, emails are more personal and private in nature than SNS which is basically open to facilitate networking of friends, schoolmates or family members.
Emails are like letters in real life which are private and personal - restricted to the addressees only. But, it is not so in this case when government lawmakers could easily order for its details to be released.
@McCreeper (777)
• United States
14 Nov 12
Privacy? Online? Hahaha, you must be joking! But to be blatant, once you do something on the internet, the action you have done or the things that you place on the internet are mostly in public. It's even possible to get financial information, but I'll leave that on a later story..
The internet isn't as safe as people deem it to be. Given the actions a person has done, tables can turn at a very unpredictable rate. Companies do give us that false sense of security, which granted, I fell for many times.
I'm just saying. The internet was never really safe even when it was born..
@vidhyaprakash_2 (7116)
• India
15 Nov 12
Hi friend, sad to hear about this. We are in need to provide our information while creating our account and some of us providing the real information. Also we are in need to do mobile verification for some process, so we are sharing our real mobile numbers with this site. It is not a good thing to share our personal information with a third person. As it promised that they don't share our information with others, while creating our account and our privacy is important to them. Here after we must be careful while sharing our personal things
@Mavic123456 (21898)
• Thailand
14 Nov 12
Several years ago, i have an American chatmate. We talk a lot about everything in the world. We talk alot about things, life, love, people, government, work, personal, family name it... all as in all. After 9-11 attack, while we were chatting, of course i have to ask him how is he after the bombing. He told me not to speak of anything such as, muslim, bomb, explode, explosion, towers, and so on. because he said that the conversation is being monitored. So he will not be put in trouble. Privacy? I guess they can control the cyberspace.
