In the twenty-first century, it is common for people’s actions and information to be monitored by others without their knowledge or consent. Opinion is strongly divided over this topic, with some people being adamantly opposed to such invasion of personal privacy, and others believing that it is necessary for our security. This essay will argue that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages, and as such this trend is dangerous for our future.
To begin with, as we move into an increasingly digital world, our personal data is mostly stored online. From dating profiles to photos to bank details, so much of what is important is now stored on computers. Much of this is available to governments and businesses without our knowledge, and it is even common for social media companies to sell our data to third parties in order to make profits.This leads to large organizations knowing more about our lives than we ever wanted them to. Our data should be our personal property, and we should have more say over how it is handled.
In addition, with the ever-present threat of global terrorism, government agencies are constantly monitoring people around the world. They do this by watching us on security cameras and also eavesdropping on our phone and email communication. This is ostensibly a positive thing as it should keep us safer, but in fact it is causing people to lose their privacy. If this is part of the fight against terrorism, then the terrorists have won because we are losing our personal freedoms each day.
In conclusion, although there are doubtless benefits to our lives being monitored by others, the disadvantages are greater because individuals are losing their rights and freedoms in various ways.