Chapter 2: Part 2

Author: Sarah Baase

Date of Publication: 2008

Book: The Gift of Fire

Sections read: 2.3, 2.4, 2.5

1. (Knowledge)Tell three interesting elements of this chapter:

               a. In section 2.3 Baase states that there is no law requiring federal agencies to notify
                  someone if their personal data is lost or stolen.

b. In four years government agencies had 788 different cases with lost or stolen identities. People were stealing data and personal information off of government computers. “The Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, and the U.S Marshals Service lost 400 laptops”(p. 86 Baase).

c. Data brokers and people who sell private information for money or for personal use are acting in an unethical way, which relates to chapter 1, section 4.

2. (Comprehension) Summarize what is being discussed within this chapter?

In this chapter the main topic is privacy. Privacy in the 21^st century is looked at completely different than in past years. For example people are constantly putting their private information on the Internet because they think their account is private. What people do not realize is that even with a private account personal information is accessible. Information that is public, such as your hometown, school, or telephone number are pulled and used for data mining. These sections include topics from lack of data privacy to the importance of encryption resources and why they have become increasingly popular. Firms such as ChoicePoint and Acxiom “…sell data to businesses for marketing and ‘consumer management’ (p. 82 Baase). These sections also discuss that your personal searches and social networking sites are constantly being monitored and watched by the government.

3. (Application)Name a specific example or NEW solution for this type of problem/similar situation in society or that you have experienced – be specific and explain?

There are many solutions that can help prevent personal information from being sent out on the web. For example, people who do not want any of their personal information available for marketers should not use the computer because personal information has no privacy when on the Internet. People who use the web for any research, purchases, tax forms, credit card bills, social networking, etc. are all in danger. There is no way of stopping data miners from finding personal information because even a home telephone number can be used to find information like where someone lives or how many children they have. Although these solutions seem obvious, some people do not fully understand that there is a lack of privacy when you are putting personal data online.

4. (Analysis)Address ANY that apply. How can you compare one of the situations in this chapter to something that does not relate to computers, technology, or the Internet? Be sure to reference the chapter and your solution. What ideas NEW can you add to the issue that is being presented within the reading? Try to connect what you have by reading this article and how it applies to the stages in Bloom's taxonomy in 2 full sentences.

You can compare the extreme use of data mining and people hacking personal information with someone who robs a bank. Robbing a bank and someone robbing your identity is a unique comparison because they are both highly unethical. Ethics is an important part of someone’s life and without an ethical background many criminal activities can exist. Even though data mining is not as serious as robbing a bank it can still harm the person that the information was taken from. Data mining along with robbing a bank are unethical because they are putting people someone’s personal life at risk.

5. (Synthesis) Address all that apply. Do you agree with what is being said within the article (Why/Why not? Back up with FACTS)? What new conclusions can you draw about this (or other topics) after reading this material?

Yes, I do agree with what is being discussed in these sections. The sections put an emphasis on how important it is to keep your personal information off the Internet and not available for data brokers. Data brokers obtain information by lying to other companies to get a SSN, address, credit card numbers and other personal information. The important thing to remember when it comes to privacy matters is that the information someone puts on the Internet is no longer just that person’s information. The information can be bought and sold for 3/5^th of a penny. Privacy rights can only be protected if you limit yourself to what you search online and what websites a person is browsing.

6. (Evaluation) Address all that apply. Judge whether or not this topic is relevant in today’s society? Evaluate why you are viewing the topic in this manner based on your experiences. What ethical evaluations or decisions were made/can be assumed from this chapter? What new ideas will you make after reading this chapter?

This topic is extremely relevant in society because many younger people are using the Internet and they are not aware of the lack of privacy that they are given. Since Facebook and other social networking sites are so prominent in the 21^st century people around the world should acknowledge the fact that there are data brokers that will steal personal information and sell it for a profit. An ethical evaluation made from this chapter is that since people around you (data brokers and miners) live unethically, a person who uses the internet needs to act ethically and not post inappropriate information to a public website. After reading these sections my knowledge of the widespread lack of privacy has increased. I am now more aware that every Google search or website I look at is being monitored and watched.

Since I’ve read these sections I will be much more careful when entering personal data and information on a public website.

References:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wbBDQgFNoqw February 28, 2012

Baase, Sarah "A Gift of Fire" 2008