We Have No Privacy – NONE

I’m an old timer.  In high school, I had to wait hours to use our family phone (aka landline) and remember having numerous arguments with my siblings about their long phone calls that resulted in that annoying busy signal of the old Ma Bell days when my friends were trying to call me. 

Then, when I got my first cell phone, it was the size of my shoe (no kidding!) and all it did was make very expensive phone calls.  I bought it when I was pregnant with Nicole and thought it was the coolest device ever because I could call Rob from my car when I went into labor. But now, cell phones are mini laptops that have amazing capabilities.  There’s very little that my cell phone can’t do and I find that I can’t be without it – ever!  So that’s why I’m so concerned about my privacy.

I just heard that if I wanted to spy on someone, I could have unlimited access to this person’s mobile device and covertly collect information about relationships, locations, phone conversations, plans, activities – whenever or wherever they are. It leaves no traces so the person will never know that you’re spying and they can’t trace it back to you.  Because this is new technology, the costs are high (just like a prototype).  For the use of this type of surveillance, the costs are between $500,000 and $800,000.  Phew!  I doubt anyone would pay that to see that I’m writing blogs or talking to college-bound kids.  But, my biggest fear is that as technology improves and more people purchase these types of software, the costs will be driven down and soon it’ll be a free app on everyone’s phones. 

The way I look at online communication today is that anything I post, email, text, or search should be something that I would feel comfortable having my enemies and the government see. It’s kind of like the advice I give my clients about social media: Don’t post photos or write messages on social media that you wouldn’t want your future mother-in-law or employer to see.  Assume you have no privacy because you really don’t.

Hmm. Looks like writing good ol’ fashioned letters and sending them snail mail may be the only way we will be able to maintain our privacy when we aren’t having face-to-face conversations.  And, that actually sounds refreshing to me!

[Source]