Problem

According to HASTAC org*:

"Social networking platforms, mobile phone technology, and ubiquitous data-gathering software have become enmeshed with daily life for most people in developed, western nations. Part of this stems from the fact that communication technologies have afforded users with considerable benefits and luxuries. Indeed, social applications exist to monitor health and weight, to aid with study and research, and to help users share information about restaurants, nightspots, and other social venues. However, these benefits manifest only through the collection of data into constant and ever-expanding archives of behaviors and lifestyles. These archives facilitate how social platforms and software work autonomously to offer users suggestions regarding health choices, friendships, and professional contacts, or what JörgenSkågsby (2012) calls "serendipitous" suggestions. Whether through the click of a mouse, a keystroke, or a press of a touchscreen, our activities can be (and often are) tracked by hundreds of companies, organizations, governments, and individuals. Log into Facebook and you receive customized advertisements from your web searches. Google offers personalized search results based upon complex algorithms. Without question, companies like Facebook, Google, BlueKai, DoubleClick, and ScoreCard Research know our web habits and attitudes.

Because of this, we have seemingly grown comfortable to the point of sharing our personal identities, habits, and attitudes with companies in exchange for "free" or customized services and benefits (Carey and Burkell, 2009). However, with recent news events about the National Security Agency's position on collecting data from Internet companies, along with the events surrounding NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden (and the subsequent media frenzy), the problematic nature of "dataveillance," or the surveillance of the aforementioned archives of data, becomes apparent."

Reflect on the above (and do additional Internet research if desired). Then answer the following: Why do we need to worry about dataveillance on a personal level? Family level? Work level (either as an employee or as a business)? Other than worry, is there anything more productive we can do to protect our privacy and still take advantage of all of the opportunities in today's digital age?