Blog Post #10: EOTO

 Net Neutrality 

Net Neutrality is the act of having free internet and is the basic principle that prohibits internet providers to slow down, speed up, to block any content like websites or applications. Net Neutrality also gives cooperations and companies that run solely on the internet the possibility of innovation. Without Net Neutrality, people would have to buy internet packages and pay x amount of dollars just to receive a certain number of social media websites, applications, etc. If people had to buy these subscriptions, companies that run solely on the internet would suffer greatly and not have as much room to expand.  If even the most basic internet package, which includes half of what we use on a daily basis, costs around $80, subscribers to these websites and internet-based companies would dwindle, giving them less and less room to grow. 

If we did not have Net Netruality, basic freedoms, and luxuries that we use every day without a second thought would be gone. Cell phone providers would be able to block calls and texts from your phone without net neutrality, and that basic principle of privacy is no longer applicable without it. 

Basic freedoms, the small bit of privacy we still have on the internet today, access to free internet, etc would vanish in the blink of an eye without net neutrality. We use the internet more than we even realize, and we take free internet access for granted in our everyday lives. Imagine having to buy an internet package just to do your homework, or just use google, or just check your social media. People in low income homes, who can not afford to buy these internet packages, will not be able to get online at all, which makes it hard from them to do simply things that we don't even think about. 

Overall, not having net neutrality would make our lives 10x harder since we have become so accustomed to living a certain way. We have become so used to have the internet at our finger tips, and we are holding on to that last bit of privacy that we still have on the internet. Without net neutrality, we would not only have absolutely no privacy but cell phone and internet providers would be able to intercept calls, texts, emails, etc from our phones and from the internet which is a complete invasion of privacy. 

Blog post #9: Privacy

 Privacy on the Internet

After watching these Ted Talks, and researching other articles about the lack of privacy on the internet, it has become clear just how little privacy we actually have in our day to day lives. Growing up in a world where cell phones were just becoming popular, I grew up with a birdie in my ear telling me to be careful of what I put on the internet everything is permanent once it is on the internet. I have since learned the importance of being careful what you post not only on the internet but on social media in general. After watching these ted talks, the idea of a lack of privacy on the internet was just completely increased and makes me nervous about what can be trusted when it comes to technology and what can't be. 

We have all experienced the horrors of talking about something near your phone, and ads for that product or website coming up all over your browser and social media for the next few weeks. That is exactly how invasive the internet can be. Google, Facebook, Youtube, and many other social media websites and search engines are always listening, and keep a record of everything you have ever searched or said. These websites really get you when it comes to the terms and conditions. Let's be honest, no one ever really reads all of the terms and conditions, but we really should. Platforms like Facebook and Youtube sneak clauses about lack of privacy and invasive tactics into these terms and conditions and get away with it because hardly anyone reads the fine print. When it comes to 2020 and the internet, we have little to no privacy and the internet cannot be trusted.