General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Eighteen years ago, when my oldest child first started going on the internet, I remember telling her [View all]Live and Learn
(12,769 posts)Accepting the loss of privacy and undermining those that attempt to do something about it is another thing.
The information that has been reported regarding Snowden alone is proof of how dangerous the collection and retention of data is. Any illusion of privacy should have been eliminated by anyone paying attention.
Anything you ever do will be retained until they find a need to use it against you. It wasn't always like this. Thankfully, those of us from previous generations were allowed to spout off and even get caught in misdemeanor legal situations without it haunting us for life.
Even serious crimes had a statute of limitations and even if you were convicted your crime wasn't known worldwide,. Meaning, you really had a chance after release to start a new life.
Times have changed and those of you participating in the character assassinations of people for past doings are simply giving proof to the real need to prevent our privacy.
Do any of you really think you have never done something that couldn't be found and at the very least touted online (if not used against you in a court of law) with the surveillance going on? How about the possibility of blackmailing you?
Our misdeeds may not have been recorded in the past but our children's surely will be,. And they will make mistakes just as we did.
Unfortunately, unless we do something about it theirs will be stored for eternity.