Internet Privacy

The idea of privacy on the internet is one that has always been occluded. We agree to the "terms of service" and "privacy policies" without even reading them! They are pages and pages long with terms that as a general public, we do not fully understand. Pop-ups on multiple websites ask for permission for the use of cookies. The pop-up probably annoys you and you press yes not knowing what you're really agreeing to. These data mining bots then have access to what you search. Whats the most alarming is the privacy amongst iPhones users. Face ID seems very scary. It literally scans your face to keep on records to allow you into your phone. I'm guilty of having an iPhone that requires a Face ID scan. Alarming? Yes, but it is so normalized now.
Apple has released a statement saying that they have encrypted our cell phones to be resistant to wire tapping by government officials. It is comforting at first to think that our conversations are truly private. However, there are some things that definitely set me off when I learned about this situation.
One: Why did government officials get so angry by the fact that they could not read our hear our private conversations? What else do they have access to that we are unaware of? Well, they are supposedly listening for criminal offenses, such as terrorists or drug dealers (as mentioned in the TEDTalk listed below).
Two: We do not have specific phones for drug dealers, criminals, or terrorists. We all buy the same kinds of phones! Therefore, the statement that Apple issued saying they do not condone the use of wire tapping and that their products are resistant to such a thing must be a lie!
Three: Surveillance features are not only used by government officials. Hackers are able to break into these features, especially webcams, and not be able to be traced. So many people have covers over their laptop cameras already (and yes, I am one of them).

To make our world safer, especially pertaining to our internet safety, we must use these encryption tools. Companies should be focused on keeping their innocent customers safe. It may mean that catching bad guys may be a little more difficult, but for the benefit of the general public, it should be considered.

Reference: https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/ondemand/hls/content/2503702/vid/ChristopherSoghoian_2015U/ATL/streams/3544a522-53cb-4352-bb4b-e753d4022af5/master.m3u8