Do we really have a right to privacy?

As Americans, do we have a right to privacy? We like to think so, but in reality the definition of privacy has become so convoluted that most people no longer know or understand the difference between public and private. This is especially true on the Internet and with all things electronic. And Big Brother is not alone when it comes to spying and the citizenry. Big companies like Google, Facebook, Twitter and many other online sources know more about you than you are probably consciously aware of yourself. They know who you are, where you live, who you’re related to, where you work, where you shop, the music you like, the movies and shows you watch, the doctors you visit and the things you like to see and do recreationally and online. They know all of this because we tell them so. We give them this information, quite willingly I might add. The first thing you need to understand about all these free search engines and social media sites is that we are not their customers. We are their product. They buy, sell and trade our information with their real customers – the companies and advertisers who want your business. Have you ever noticed that the ads you see almost always happen to be things you’re interested in? Do you think it’s a coincidence? This Orwellian reach extends well beyond your computer. Your credit/debit cards, cell phones and affinity cards betray your privacy with every swipe, text, phone call and app download. How do you think grocery stores know exactly what coupons to offer you? Your bank, grocery store, gas station and movie theater all know what you like to buy, where you buy it, when you buy it and what price you’re willing to pay for it. The scary part is we willingly and unwittingly give them all this information. For example, those of us with Facebook accounts provide Mark Zuckerberg and company with the very minutia of our lives. They even have face recognition technology that can pick you out of a crowd in a heartbeat. If you think the stuff you share on social media sites is limited to only those you want to see it, you had better think again. It may not be easy for the general public to see what you post, but the owners of the site and software have access to everything. While that doesn’t stop me from posting on Facebook and Twitter, I keep in mind that everything I put out there can and will be used for or against me in a court of public opinion and potentially placed on display without my knowledge. Frankly, we can’t trust Zuckerberg with our privacy. He has proven many times to have a reckless disregard for privacy. He’ll use anything to his advantage and rightfully claim we gave him the right to do so. Most people, myself included, do not bother to read the fine print and quickly click on the accept/agree button to enter a site rather than wade through the privacy policy or user agreement form. That little click is just as legally binding as your signature on a printed contract. Most of the time, you’re going to be safe and have little or nothing to fear. It’s those few remaining times that you need to stay on guard against. What every consumer needs to know is that every time you use your computer, phone, debit card or anything else that eventually connects to a computer, you have put some part of your information in the hands of others, and in many cases into the public domain. I don’t say all of this to scare you or make you feel like you’re jeopardizing your privacy or personal information simply by using electronic gadgets. I say it so you are aware of the potential out there for your information to be seen or used. Everything put into a computer – especially online – will leave a digital imprint stored somewhere. That’s why you should always heed the Las Vegas motto: Whatever happens online stays online. So if you want to maintain your privacy, watch carefully what you say and do with your digital devices.