The Importance of Privacy

We live in a very invasive society. It would seem that those in power know way too much about us. Since all of our information is on file, including our tax paying records, medical records, credit records, criminal record, and so on, anyone with access to this information can know what you have done practically every day of your life. Here I will outline some of the most invasive privacy breaches committed by both the government and the private corporations we do dealings with. When you are done reading, you may feel differently about how much information you would like to give out.

Using online services, someone can pay a very small fee and have a check done on any person in the USA. These checks are supposed to be a thorough look through the person’s background, and generally do a very good job of it. They tell things like arrest records, history of places of residence, and many other personal things related to a person’s past. This information may not be embarrassing necessarily, but it can still feel like a major breach of your privacy to have it available to anyone in the first place.

These online services are generally used by employers to do a little background check on the people they are thinking about employing. By seeing someone’s personal history, employers can let a criminal record from years in the past get in the way of actual job skills that could contribute to a company. Many would argue that it is making the hiring process unfair due to employers looking past the really important things.

But what can you do about having this information out and available for everyone to see? Unfortunately, there is not much that you can do to have it removed. Our society has become extremely invasive, and no longer seems to respect someone’s right to share or withhold their own personal information as they see fit. While it allows for many convenient things such as employment checks, the privacy breaches make many people very uneasy. If you feel that you should do something, look into some of the groups that are supportive of movements to make the world more private again.