Data-Caroline Barnes

   I think that social media sites and search engines have been taking our information for years but everyone only cares about this because of the issue with Facebook going on right now. I followed these links and went through the twitter thread to see what information different sites have on me. Google did not have any location information on me because I had the settings turned off. I did not know they were turned off but they were. I also looked at the data Apple Maps had on me. This was a lot. They knew where my house was and the route I take to get home. They also knew places I frequently stopped at, like certain stores and restaurants. Any time I get in my car my phone automatically tells me how many minutes it will take to go home, calculating traffic conditions. I always wondered how my phone knew where I was going. From this I found out that my phone recognizes patterns of where I travel. After seeing all of the data there is on me out there I was alarmed. It is creepy how all of these sites keep information on me. I did not even know that Apple Maps would keep track of my location and store all of this data. I think that is the downfall to all of this social media. Most people do not realize what the settings are set to on their accounts. It is weird knowing someone, social media, is always watching you. It feels like my privacy has been intruded on. But when I hit agree on the social media terms and agreements I allowed them to take my information so really, I cannot be upset. I think with our society being more and more technology based this is just an issue we have to deal with. The social media companies are going to continue to keep data on us. Unless a majority of our country refuses to boycott social media until the companies change their data collection then this will always be an issue. Most Americans would rather give up their data privacy in order to use their Facebook or Instagram. I personally think people need to look at his issue on their own. Parents should check their children’s social media settings and settings of apps, to see if their locations are being tracked. People just need to change their own settings to make them feel comfortable. If you do not care if Facebook keeps your data then don’t worry about. If it does bother you then you might want to rethink your social media usage.