Privacy

Real privacy exists for few Americans today because of the ever present connection to the web. Data collector and sellers are given free range to our data, including our phone numbers, email addresses, address, even Social Security number with very little effort on their part. This information is bought and sold countless times without our knowledge at all. Though there are efforts to make these transactions more transparent to consumers, there has been little progress. Much of the responsibility to be private fall on the shoulders of the consumer to be aware of when, how, to whom, and why their information is needed and whether or not they should give it. Unfortunately, achieving privacy in America also requires some level of sacrifice in the modern social world. Communication between "friends" is often reliant on seeing where people have visited, photos of life events, information about education and work, daily activities, and other pieces of information regarding their personal lives and choices. Reducing the display of these things often leads to a reduction in interest and contact from certain people. Those whose career depend on this kind of interaction are bound to suffer and, therefore, cannot afford this kind of sacrifice.