The more technology is updated the more of a chance our privacy is threatned. What new threats to privacy are likely to develop from new computer and Internet applications in the next five years? Include discussions on Smart-Phones, iPhone, iPad type devices, GPS-enabled vehicles etc.

The rapid increase of technology is also a rapid increase of threats to our privacy. As stated in the book “Computers, the Internet, and a whole array of digital devices, with their astounding increases in speed, storage space, and connectivity, make the collection, searching, analysis, storage, access, and distribution of huge amounts of information and images much easier, cheaper, and faster than ever before” (pg. 47). A lot of this may seem like they benefit us however they threaten our privacy. Threats to privacy include the invasion of our computers, smart phones, iPhones and other GPS devices including vehicles. Information that we put out on the Internet can always be recorded and copied and used for other things. Any type of documents or files such as pictures or videos that we put out on the Internet can be stolen and used for malicious reasons. GPS devices that we use can be used by others to track our every movement and location. With the increase of storage capacity this can lead to more threats in the future because it increases the chances of lost or stolen data. Smart phones, iPhones, iPads, and vehicles that are GPS enabled are a convenience but are not always safe. These devices also allows us to use the web and put just as much personal information on them as we do our computers which increases risk.  Another important thing is that the applications we fill out on the Internet with our personal information like SSNs, address, and phone numbers, the company does not always store this data safely. Information like this is can easily be hacked and used for identity theft.

References

Baase, S. (2008). A gift of fire: Social, legal, and ethical issues for computing and the Internet (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.