By @anarchyroll
Do we value our privacy or not?
A simple question on the surface. The difficulties come when digging deeper to give a thoughtful answer.
We as a society say we value privacy. Humans in general espouse the sanctity of our homes, as the safe place for our private lives.
If we didn’t value privacy as a people, there would not even be a fake outrage whenever a data breach is reported in the news or when whistleblowers reveal conspiracy theories about the mythical Big Brother are both real and the law of the land.
But the outrage always fades. If the masses demanded our privacy as a whole be respected by the public and private sector then Facebook would struggle to make a profit and Edward Snowden would now be running the NSA rather than a fugitive.
We will soon find out just how much the masses in America value their privacy. The term put your money where your mouth is a golden rule like indicator for measuring commitment in America. And it appears that the biggest internet service providers (ISPs) in America will be forcing the hand of legislatures and consumers alike to determine exactly how much privacy is worth and to be respected.
The gatekeepers to the internet are now officially saying that if consumers want to access the internet, the price has gone up. In addition to constantly increasing the monetary cost, consumers must now forfeit any and all objects to their online activity being monitored and mined for the monetary gain of the ISPs.
Early adopters and techies aren’t enough to move the needle on this. The masses must make their voices heard using their wallets on this one. It seems as though we are at a genuine turning point in the way we live our lives. Put up or shut up time is seemingly upon us.
- Do we value our privacy?
- Is digital privacy worth the same, less, or more than physical/real world privacy?
- What are we willing to do to keep our privacy?
- Do we want to continue trading our privacy to avoid spending money for access to online services?
Our collective answers to these questions will echo for generations and in this instance, silence is consent.
Anarchy Journal Constitutional 