Privacy, Online and Off

First off, in this day and age, privacy is pretty well-respected offline. It is online, where there is very little of it. In the first video from Juan Enriquez, privacy is related to a tattoo, in that it is a permanent mark displaying a core part of who the wearer is. While frightening, it is almost ignored that everything you do online is tracked and stored as data in some digital profile. Companies track every click through methods such as cookies, site/app interaction, and willingly posting info online. With so much of our lives online, it is impossible to escape past decisions or to hide from posts that should not have been sent.

Next, in the video from Christopher Soghoian, the idea of encryption being embedded within private technology being a necessity and a default is vital. He goes on to explain that the government does not like that companies like Apple make encryption the default, preventing them from listening in. The issue with them being against this encryption is that it means they want to listen in. They believe it is necessary. 

Encryption is absolutely vital to online privacy, and is often overlooked as inconsequential. Things like a strong password and careful online activity can help prevent companies and the government from encroaching on your digital privacy. If the government were not as keen on stealing people's information, it would be making it so that digital privacy was a fundamental right.

Lastly, the vast amount of information that accumulates over years online is a significant risk to privacy. In the video from Andy Yen, Email is related to a postcard rather than a letter. The idea is that letters were sealed. A postcard can be easily read by anybody who happens to see it. Encryption using individually-held API keys (such as what is used when streaming to a specific account on Twitch, or when accessing OpenAI remotely) would allow individual people to be the only ones with access to their messages and emails. Unfortunately, companies need this data to send targeted ads, which account for a massive chunk of companies' revenue.