There is No Erasing Online Data

For all of its freedom and openness, the internet also includes a large aspect of Big Brother. Nearly everything that you do online is traceable and permanent, depending on who is tracking you. This does not just refer to shady figures and hackers who are attempting to steal your identity. Even reputatble companies like Google are tracking the majority of your online data movements. It is a mostly harmless tactic that is used to improve the performance of their search engine algorithm, ultimately leading to a benefit for consumers. However, it can be noted that the potential for future abuse does exist. The size of the net offers some protection. With over a billion users and a total data size that is ever increasing at an exponential rate, there is more information than any group of individuals could read if given half an eternity. Even supercomputers using advanced algorithms have trouble catching all of the data available on the internet. There is some level of anonimity amongst the masses. But you cannot count on that protecting you from prying eyes. If someone puts you into their crosshairs or you stumble onto the wrong site, your information can be made available to anybody who wants to know. Heck, just pick a friend at random and do an internet search for their name. Odds are that you will not have to search too long or hard to see something that is personal to them come up in the search results. Others can do the same for you. It is important for people to understand that any data they put out there on the net is accessible. Just because you have your social media pages "locked" so that only friends can see them does not mean that your information is safe. It does not take a super-hacker to scrape that information and post it elsewhere. Social media can still be a lot of fun, but save your most important personal information for your "real" friends. It is also important for people to understand that just because they delete something does not mean that it is gone. There are professionals who specialize in data recovery that routinely bring back deleted files. Do an internet search and you will find a host of results for companies that can bring back accidentally deleted files. Do you really think that intentionally deleted files make deletion any more permanent? Anything you put on the internet, plan for it existing in perpetuity. None of this is to say that one should not spend large amounts of time on the internet or be heavily involved in social media. It is only suggested that people take care when they do engage in online activity. You do not need to surf the web from an underground bunker with 64 bit encryption code preventing anybody from determining what your user name is for your online sports forum account. Simply be aware of the risks involved with putting information out there and understand that what you put out there is available and is not simply wiped away by hitting the delete button. If someone wants to find out personal data about you, they can use a myriad of methods that are not technology related to do so. There is just no reason to make it easy for them.