People are paranoid. They are afraid everyone is watching them. The irony here is that people love to put themselves out there for all to see. If you’re wondering if technology invades our privacy, the answer would be “if you let it.” As far as anyone knows, there is no hidden camera behind the bathroom mirror. The modern day concept of Big Brother is created when we freely let him in. So how does technology invade our privacy?
It’s fairly simple. First, we give personal information to social networking sites. Did you know that your phone number is available to all of your Facebook friends? Of course, you could be smart and remove it from your profile, but most people never do that. It’s virtually impossible to access any internet services without giving a phone number. If the situation feels too invasive, find a phone number and call the company instead of using the web. If a store clerk asks for your phone number, either lie or refuse to give it. Usually, this kind of information is used for marketing reasons; not to spy.
People leave their Skype cameras on all the time. It is indeed possible to hack a system and watch you. If you’re afraid of this, then don’t leave Skype running constantly. Also, change all of your passwords often. Don’t make them obvious. Most websites notify you if the password is too weak. Therefore, spying isn’t really the concern. Security is the concern. The only way you could construe technology as a spy is if you consider tracking your buying habits to be espionage.