Abuse of New Technology
Is your personal technology watching you?
The Government
Some people say that the government is spying on people.
Hackers
Hackers can get into people's bank accounts and cause a lot of damage.
Background Information
- you're being watched in stores and online because salespeople want to tweak their advertisements so that you'll buy more from them
- there are cheap and easy-to-use products that people can buy to spy on others
- some of the smart TVs tell you that there are cameras installed in the manual
- some cars with wifi have tracking systems (insurers give discounts to people who enable tracking devices on their cars)
- all of your information could be stored in databases (age, gender, license plate number)
- many people the that it's the government that's spying on them
- certain people can tap into phones and listen to calls
Pros
- it could help law enforcement detect planned terrorist attacks
- emergency services could easily find out if there is a robbery, fire, etc.
- it cuts down on crime
- criminals can be easily tracked down
- lowers the cost of community policing
- provides evidence for trials
Cons
- if the information that is gathered isn't in a secure place, it could be hacked
- most stores watch people without their consent, so it invades privacy.
- identity thieves or hackers can get your information and clear out your bank accounts
- stores can look at what costumers are buying so that they can adjust their service so that the costumers are buying more and losing money.
- people can be targeted by predators
Evidence
mSpy
- A woman's ex-husband installed a tracking device on her phone, without her knowledge.
- The app only costs $8 a month
- It tracks your every move, and it has access to all of the contacts, phone calls, and text messages on that device
Samsung's Smart TV
- There have been many reports of Samsung's Smart TV is listening to your conversations.
- Many people say that if the TV isn't on, it won't be able to record anything.
- Samsung said that "personal and sensitive information could 'be among the data captured and transmitted to a third party through your use of Voice Control'" (Alternet)
Google and Verizon
- these companies are creating cable boxes
- the cable boxes have motion sensors and video cameras
Conclusion
I feel like surveillance is not a bad thing, but there needs to be a reason. Public surveillance is okay, because if there's a robbery or an attack of some sort, there will be evidence or an image of the culprit. People can't be "spied on" without a specific reason. The law enforcement can check in on suspects by using technology. They can tap into phones, only if they have a warrant. If people are caught tracking others without a warrant, they should be penalized.