Big brother is always watching. In 2020, it is largely accepted that there is no truly private corners of the internet. Many argue that this is fine, because only criminals have something to hide. Others believe that the internet should not inherently allow anyone and everyone to have access to your personal business regardless of how mundane it is. Mozilla has announced that it will begin encrypted domain names by default in its Firefox browser. Some say this is a fruitless effort, but it its hard to argue it isn’t a good step in the right direction.
Firefox is not everyone’s browser of choice, but many tech savvy or privacy inclined people prefer the web browser for their day-to-day needs. Mozilla has always had a penchant for privacy, and at this point in 2020 they are laying their entire model on the idea of a default private web browsing experience. In an article published on The Verge, Dieter Bohn argues the similarities in how Amazon wants to watch our every move in their “Go” stores and our internet service providers same interests in our search history. Dieter argues that we haven’t fully explored the idea that “by default there’s not an expectation of privacy with what we do online”.
There is certainly an argument to be made about how dangerous it is to be anonymous online. Heinous crimes and abuse become far easier under a mask, but that doesn’t change how nefarious the goals of those watching our every move online are. There should be a compromise. While it is argued that DNS encryption isn’t the best method, it is at least an attempt at curbing this appetite for big data. There is a stigma around privacy online. Since it is not there by default, many assume that there is no need for it. Of course, this is not the case, and I believe that there is a lot of work to be done in terms of communicating what exactly is being collected from users online and why. There is something to be said about the analogy Bohn makes in this article, claiming we wouldn’t want to be watched while browsing a public library. There is nothing wrong with exploring a library, but adding the tension that you are under a microscope creates a feeling of unease. Most people match this unease with a fake demeanor. The lack of privacy online has created a dual-identity crisis in the modern world. There are two of you, one online, and one that exists everywhere else. The difference between the two is that one is afraid of being themselves because they know that self will be under constant scrutiny.
Fundamentally, Mozilla’s attempt at making a more private browsing experience may have little impact, but opening people’s eyes to true affects of data collection online is an important first step. It is clear that if companies as large as Mozilla and even Google have taken steps in this direction, it is only a matter of time until others follow.
Source Article: https://www.theverge.com/tech/2020/2/26/21153525/firefox-dns-encryption-amazon-go-browsing-shopping-privacy
Social Structures & Algorithms 