The Ghost in Your Machine

Just as the invention of cars led to the start of traffic laws the widespread use of the internet is presenting us with another form of traffic regulation. Unfortunately, the internet is slightly more complicated than an automobile considering that a car normally doesn't get diseases from the gas station, the stereo won't steal your identity and the windshield doesn't fill up with lame ads from every-place-you-don't-care-about... Well, maybe the last one does happen.

Metaphor almost aside, I was inspired to think about cars and computers by another 'c' word being tossed around by one Robert Wright while he analyzed clouds in Cloudy with a Chance of Totalitarianism. I followed the links on his article to The New York Times. There I learned that the expansion of storing information online in the form of emails, credit history and other personal information has led to invasion of privacy issues. Big surprise!

With everyone using the internet (everyone who matters) and leaving their personal information in the care of countless web services through common activities like checking email or online banking the threat of the misuse of personal information becomes imminent.

The consequences of information leakage can range anywhere from receiving spam to identity theft. It could be worse. At least now we don't have to hear that dial-up connection sound anymore.

Thankfully, the government does occasionally step in to demand some accountability from web services. Unfortunately, these regulations with the help of the Patriot Act allow the government privy to your information too. Without your knowledge. So The Man is able to look at our private stuff to help keep us safe from other people looking at our private stuff. That sounds.... comforting? Doesn't your personal information belong to you? What's next, the government listening, and now with the help of streaming video, watching in on you. That might be a bit of an exaggeration, but the fact is that the internet is a lot less under-control than we think and that fact becomes more evident as we realize how much we depend on it to keep our private information private.

So, what's the deal? I guess I trust the government not to abuse the information they could find on me through the internet. Until legislators care about my vote again there's really not much to do. In fact I take pity on whoevere's job it is to investigate me, and I really feel bad for whoever has to keep tabs on chatroulette (delivering packages to your eyes from all over the world).

As long as I can still illegally download massive amounts of music without repercussion, they can do whatever want. If you're a mark like me in this game of e-thieves don't ask yourself 'Isn't my information mine?' If you're wired-in you have to distribute your information online. The question you control is 'Do I trust the people I'm giving my information to?'