Respect for Privacy : It's History Now

We are in a very different world now. Yes, there is no doubt about it. Nobody can really argue that we as human beings can no longer enjoy some form or degree of privacy, even if it will merely consist of a simple smile or laughter. The saying goes, "someone is watching" or "I know what you did yesterday", etcetera.

Sounds a bit exaggerated. I don't think so.

At least, this is already true for those who are reading this at this very moment. Why? Well, because you are hooked up with the World Wide Web, the Internet. This is the very culprit or at least technology, if I may so, that is responsible for a lot of things happening around all of us, such as but not limited to the following:

1 - when you open your mobile phone, whether for a voice call or text messaging, or for web browsing, you are actually registering your whereabouts, and the location of the other party you are communicating with;

2 - it is possible that when you talk to someone, or send a text to somebody, you are allowing a third party to monitor your conversation or text message exchanges; of course, this is denied by third party concerned, and for which reason, I stated upfront, "it is possible";

3 - when you open your desktop, laptop or tablet, the same situation applies where somebody, somewhere, and somehow, a third party is able to intrude and explore the inner core of your computer, hacked it, infect it with virus, or simply rob you out with data and information, or intellectual property; very recently, we learned of news that emails are intercepted in the interest of national security;

4 - let us go to the animal kingdom, our world - embattled and dumped with too much technology, when you shop till you drop, when you fill up your tank, when you enroll your child, when you pay up your bills, when you order, when you withdraw money from the ATM, or in sum, when you use your cards or numbers - credit card, debit card, loyalty card, shopping card, gas card, social security number, tax identification number, government health number, professional identification number, etc. - or in any cashless transactions - all these will show who you are, what you are made of, your preferences, status, residence, age, address, gender, names of family members, books you read, food you eat, clothes you wear, songs you hear, movies watched, and medicines you take as well as places you go to;

5. Ah, and now the already becoming ubiquitous CCTV camera has made surveillance of people simpler, and quite annoying for many. On the road, in malls, business establishments, villages and even houses - we are being watched, from one place to the other, city to the other, country and to the next.

The list is endless. But is there an end to all these? Is there a way to stop it?

Not anymore. In the name of safety, security, anti-terrorism and anti-crime, not even the power of legislation or adjudication could stop them. We have been made to believe and in fact, experience the need for those.

Privacy is a thing of the past. We allowed it to happen.


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Location:Quezon City,Philippines