Dear Readers,
Do you know how much privacy you have in your daily life? Most of us are aware that websites and apps are actively tracking us anytime we venture online. And we’ve certainly heard the “conspiracy theory” about government agencies tracking the digital and real life movements of millions of people around the globe. (Well, at least it used to be a conspiracy theory until the last decade showed us that governments are definitely tracking us, all in the name of the “greater good”.)
Some people will try to argue that those who have nothing to hide don’t need privacy. But ask yourself: how much does the government need to know about you in order to “keep you safe” and where does the line get drawn? At a certain point, privacy limitations become overly burdensome even for people with the most mundane lifestyles.
For example, various groups within the U.S. government want to impose reporting requirements for financial accounts that have $600 or more in annual transaction volume. Since the average U.S. citizen spends over $1,000 a month just on rent, not to mention all the other monthly expenditures people are prone to make, the proposed reporting requirements essentially include everyone with a bank account. You’ll have a hard time convincing me that the government needs a full record of all of your transactions in order to keep you safe.
