BY: CLAIRE KIM
Although there have been many downsides to the US government, I can definitely say that their privacy policy has made a huge impact on how American citizens can comfortably enjoy their lives without having fear of being watched.
I’ve thought about this before but I’ve always disliked the idea of being patrolled by others. Other than safety reasons or reasonable explanations, I felt like it violated my personal right to do what I wanted without feeling this hesitance in everything I did. I think it’s very important to maintain this society where privacy comes as a top priority because it allows people to freely exhibit a life without having doubts or guilts every second. One of the main reasons I feel hesitant to texting or getting involved in any social media platform is because of that risk of being exposed in a way I don’t want to be presented. I know for a fact that everything posted or said on the internet doesn’t go away, and this is what brings concerns to me. But since America takes privacy incredibly seriously, there hasn’t been much of an issue regarding this topic personally.
However, as I was reading this article, I realized how much of an issue this may actually be outside of America. Unfortunately, I have learned that some places like China, experience an opposite privacy policy as citizens do not get to benefit from any privacy.
Along the streets, surveillance cameras are allocated for the sole purpose to watch the behaviors and actions of the Chinese citizens. Also, any form of work on the internet is immediately preserved in a data system in which the government can see without any consent from the citizens. In this case, the government is, in fact, breaching basic privacy that citizens need and want. Founders of big head companies in China like, “We Chat” have this ability to read conversations from their users and other business leaders can do so as well.
It’s nice to see how after multiple years of being entrapped by this society, Chinese citizens are finally able to recognize the importance of their privacy and take immediate action against it.
Privacy is essential to continue our daily lives because it not only protects ourselves but also ensures us to live peacefully.
claire kim. 