Sunday, July 24, 2011

Technology Stalking out of hand


 Lately I've been noticing a growing epidemic of technology stalking getting out hand. More and more services like Facebook and twitter want to follow our every moves, track our progress and even subliminally get access to our information, but what are we to do when we use their services so much that it becomes normal to just basically "hand over" our information on a silver platter to them? Where are our resources? Our options? Or chocies to just permanently disable the annoying little buttons? Answer: There is none. 

For years social networks have been slowly sneaking under the radar taking our information and our privacy rights with it. The like button on facebook which is now featured all over the internet on many websites make things "easier". We click the like button and it suggests miscellaneous websites, etc that we may "like" based on the like button that we clicked. Facebook even features check ins, which allow people to check into a location, and they also give full access to a person's facebook account to applications that the person uses. We aren't safe when using facebook, and neither are we when using twitter. In twitter location services are a must and their is no way to diasble it. Twitter asks what we're doing, when we are doing it, and with who.


Why has technology stalking become so prevelant amongst its users? When are we going to get the privacy we undeniable deserve? I highly doubt there will be any change in technology stalking because more and more services are becoming "hooked" to our lives. Phones are no exception, espically apple phones, no apple products. Apple has a tendacy to be nosey, and require your information without caring. They want your location, your name, they want to know what you like, etc. Any way apple can acquire information they will. I have learned first hand that apple takes all prisoners and could care less about how people feel about them having access to such personal information of theirs, and thats why when dealing with apple and their products I am very precatious because believe it or not, apple is one of the worse technology services stalking people.


In my personal opinion technology stalking has gotten out of hand and I beleve that it can be very, very dangerous and probably helpful, if it were used that way, which most of the time its not. I think people need to be aware of how technology stalking can harm them. With people having access to your private information, they can do anything with it and you won't know who has it. You do not know where your information is going or who it is being shared with, you dont even know how much information the person(s) have. How can we be safe if their are no resources? Or options we can take? I know one thing, I'm going to be extra careful (Is that even possible?) with the services I choose and the type of information I give to websites!