This weeks lecture was about Surveillance and Privacy in a Networked World. First of all this reminded me of my Artefact me, Lisa and Jenny created last term about how CCTV and Technology is making the world seem smaller you can see it here: Compression
Steve Mann came up with the idea of Sousveillance this is when you wear small cameras, like policemen have them on the bike helmets and also people wear them to stream live to the internet.
This really makes you think, cameras can now be tiny, how do you know when you are being watched ,even more than CCTV as everyone knows this is everywhere there is more CCTV in England than anywhere else in Europe.
We are getting watched everywhere whether its by cameras or by people. This makes you think about privacy do we have any? when we are always being watch and listened too, online you give loads of information out constantly, we got told about when you go on websites, and such, we leave a footprint of where we have been online, which people can follow and see what you have been doing/viewing.
For example on Facebook or any type of networking website you have to give lots of personal information to create you account Name, Post Code, Email address, phone number, date of birth, gender, you write about yourself what you like, what you don’t, you can obviously change your privacy settings to stop people you don’t want seeing this information from seeing it, but most of us don’t change the settings so everyone can see it, you can even give your back card details why the f**k would you do that? why do facebook need it? can they see what you have been buying? like the brilliant Tesco Clubcard the perfect way for Tescos to keep tabs on you what you buy, eat, how often, how much, and of course your personal information to use the card, name, address, phone number ect.
They can use this information to advertise to you when things you like go on offer or something new is coming out you might be interested in, you will know about it.
All of this is scary being watched but it doesn’t bother me I think if you get to wrapped up init you would become paranoid, I have loads of information bank details and photos on websites all over the place from when I buy online and my Facebook page having photo’s on my profile.
There are quite a few articles about privacy and Facebook but I took a look at these articles Facebook: The New Look of Surveillance and Exclusive: The next Facebook privacy scandal both talking about privacy when it comes to Facebook and what they do with your information.
I don’t really get scared about being watched or tracked its not worth it, most of the time there not trying to hurt you or steal your personality but just advertise to you what they think you may like or maybe interested in, I will worry more when the police nock on my door for doing things online i shouldn’t be. I never think im being watched/or tracked in the real world while in town but I know I am, everywhere I go, whatever I do, there will be a camera or person watching but you just get on with life.
Its for your safety right? or do they just want to keep an eye on everyone.
We also watched the video ‘Facebook killed the private life‘ I found this very interesting that if you now apply for a new job the employer has all the right to look at your profile and make decisions about what you put on there, most people wouldn’t want them to do that as its not fair you act differently at work, but how are they to know. Another part I found funny was when they mentioned listening in on people ,you don’t like it do you if someone is listening in on your conversation while you walk down the street but how is it any different on Facebook when you look or spy on peoples profile walls reading what people have said to one and other everyone does it and its strange that people see the internet not being the same as in the real world as if its different, but its not at all.
So how do these websites (social networking websites) make money they sell your information not just give it away to whoever wants it but they have advertisements, also when you sign up to have applications on your profile they get access to your personal information and use that to advertise to you. I read the article ‘15 reasons Facebook may be worth $15bn‘ which speaks about why its became so big and is worth so much money its interesting.
This is a bit of a cheek it doesn’t work for me anyway the adverts on Facebook I just find annoying more than anything and I don’t put many applications on my profile for that reason, I don’t want everyone taking my personal information. I dont think this is going to make people start using a different website, as Facebook is the best, on Myspace you just get non-stop Spam and friends requests of people/bands you don’t know or want to, even if your profile is private, on Facebook you don’t get that and people like this.
People will continue to use facebook until something better comes out people used Myspace for ages then people started moving to Facebook saying its better ‘come on make a profile’ so you do and slowly but surely you stop using Myspace altogether so the only way that people will leave it is if others aka Friends start to use another Social networking site.
The internet can and will destroy everyone and everything. But don’t worry I am sure you will be fine if you make sure everything is set to private… well… unless you get hacked.
