Electronic Footprints

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From Robllewellyn.com
           Juan Enriquez compares our electronic footprint to a tattoo. Tattoos are permanent and often provide personal, intimate details about someone much like your online presence. What you post online can compile details about your personal life and can never be completely removed from the internet. In the last five years, the increase in technology, social media and telecommunication networks has only made it more difficult to hide from your electronic tattoo. One concept in particular, facial recognition, revolutionized the digital world. By posting a photo to any platform, third party companies such as Face.com, later bought by Facebook, compiles a database of faces from posted pictures. So not only is your information stored, but your physical identity. Because of this technology, serious problems such as stalking, identity fraud and predatory marketing are becoming more and more common.
Facial Recognition from BBC.com

            Catherine Crump discusses the idea of local police stations abusing the authority that should only be delegated to federal powers. This comes in the form of license plate recognition. License plate recognition systems originally used to track stolen vehicles or cars in the name of someone with a criminal record now compile information on anyone. Each licensed driver has a file of images or “check-ins” with detailed information outlining where you were, who you were with and when you went there. By collecting and storing all of this information, the government has access to things such as if you went to a therapy session or if you attend or do not attend church. Personal details of individual lives are being stored at an exceeding rate because the cost to store information has plummeted.
            There are many problems that arise with both of these issues. The first one is the simple fact that most Americans have no idea that they are occurring. The amount of information the government and communication platforms have on civilians is alarming. The question that I have is why did we stop with only looking this deep into those who have a criminal background or those who are suspected to cause danger? The abuse of power and the fact that the government knows so much about each of us goes against civil liberties. While this argument has been made to dismantle the mass information acquisitions, the counter-argument is the fact that because of the world we live in, information like this MAY be helpful in the future. By compiling this ahead of time there may be a chance of reviewing details afterward to establish trends and hopefully prevent future danger.
            While both of these issues happen all day, every day it is important for civilians to realize what takes place. Catherine Crump says the best course of action is to regulate your social media presence and bring issues to your local government in order to start a course of action.

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