Read this article to learn more about the lack of online privacy in America, and how it has only gotten worse since the COVID-19 pandemic. You will also learn more about the role that the U.S. government plays in keeping our personal information safe.

It's no secret that several websites and online activities require you to enter some of your personal information, such as your email address, phone number, date of birth. Some specific examples are setting up an account for social media or entering your home address for an Amazon order. What you may not be aware of is what these companies can do with this information, and how it takes away from your online privacy.

In countries like the United States, where individual autonomy is deeply appreciated, citizens should pay attention to what they can do to advocate for their privacy. They should also pay attention to how the government views this issue.

The No-Privacy Pandemic

In this early period of the digital age, we have almost no choice but to provide our information so that we can access the websites we enjoy or even need for food and clothing. This only has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, where school, work, and dining services switched from in-person to online.

In 2020, gone were the days of conference rooms and meetups at bars, and in were the days of virtual meetings and birthday parties. With this change came the need to use email addresses and phone numbers for more websites, including the video call app Zoom, which exploded in popularity in 2020 for entertainment and educational purposes.

However, with this sudden increase in users was a lack of regulation and user protection. This caused unexpected and even disturbing interruptions of meetings. According to digital privacy reporter Sara Morrison, "Zoombombing was easy and frequent, subjecting users to images of pornography and racism in the middle of their math classes and town meetings." On top of this, Zoom sold some users' information to apps such as Facebook and LinkedIn.  

This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the use of other people's data and information. According to Morrison, "anything you do that uses the internet is likely collecting your data in some way, and many of those services are monetizing it one way or another." Many large businesses capitalize on the private information of their users by selling it to third-party companies such as advertisers. These companies then create algorithms that appeal to the user so that they can spend even more time and spend even more money on these websites. As screentime increased during the pandemic, so did the revenue stream of Big Tech – Facebook, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon – the most prominent tech companies in the United States.

An interesting aspect on this new tech issue is the gathering of public health data. With the pandemic began contact tracing, where citizens' locations are tracked to see if they are potentially spreading the coronavirus to others. According to Morrison, the majority of citizens refused to participate in this method. "Giving up health information for the sake of helping other people is apparently the line some people won't cross," said Morrison.

To read more on Morrison's thoughts on privacy, read her full article from Vox.

It is important for citizens to decide where they will draw the line in terms of giving their information to others. This can set a nationwide precedent for future privacy policies.

As difficult as it can seem to ignore this problem, many schools and businesses continue to use Zoom because it is now necessary to use technology to continue work and school. People use Amazon because it is more convenient than having to go to a grocery store or mall.

Using technology for these purposes is a new frontier, and that is why it is extremely important for action to be taken sooner rather than later to protect online privacy. Citizens need to be aware of their financial contributions to these corporations, and they need to decide if it is worth selling their information to these websites. An important factor in these decisions is what action the U.S. government will take on the privacy issue.

A small, brown lock is placed on top of the
It is important to know your online privacy rights.

Bill of (Digital) Rights

One of the possible solutions to protecting citizens' information is through the U.S. government. However, the roadblock is not from the citizens, but from the politicians who cannot reach an agreement on how to solve the issue.

In the beginning of 2020, before the pandemic hit, legislators were in talks of stricter policies, which included jail time for CEOs of Big Tech and a special agency for data privacy. This discussion took a long pause from the pandemic. Now that vaccines have been distributed and some restrictions have been lifted, all that remains is the increase in technology use. With more screen time, Republicans and Democrats have structured their stances on regulation of websites. The Democrats want antitrust laws that would break up the monopolized Big Tech. On the other hand, Republicans want to take away legal protections from these companies.

All members of the government are taking a closer look at a rule titled Section 230, which gives platforms such as Facebook and Google no responsibility for the content that its users post. If this rule is repealed, which is something that especially Republicans want, these platforms will lose their supposed neutrality. This not only may bring forth several lawsuits, but also cause a further divide between the two political parties. Republicans see Big Tech as companies that favor liberal voices and censor conservative voices. The repeal may cause a digital civil war, but it can also hold tech companies accountable for getting away with sharing people's data.

Even if the government can reach an agreement on what laws to pass, they also will need to consider their constituents. Since the United States is a democracy, it is essential that everyone's voice is heard. In a country where individuality is valued, it will be interesting to see who America trusts more: the government or Big Tech. No matter what, this issue should be solved sooner rather than later, because the use of technology for everyday activities is only going to increase.

So... What's the Point?

Since services such as online shopping, food delivery services, and even ridesharing services are so new, there are no strict privacy policies for these companies, and users have no choice but to give out information such as home addresses and phone numbers. These concerns have only increased since the start of the pandemic, where schooling and work have taken place on websites such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams.

There is a potential solution in the White House to give more protection for citizens, but Republicans and Democrats have different viewpoints and reasons. It also can be hard for technology to be regulated in a nation that emphasizes individual liberties.

The first steps each person can take is analyze their relationship with technology. Decide what websites are truly necessary, and ask yourself if it is worth them knowing your personal information. Talk to friends and family about what they think of this rising issue. If you feel so compelled, send a letter to a senator or representative and explain what you think they should do. Finally, remember that nothing online is truly private, and in order to use any part of the internet, you have to be willing to give up at least some of your privacy.

Read this article from Forbes for more online safety tips. Stay safe, stay educated, and come back next week for another post!