Podcast #2

Copyright in the Digital Era via Pod Bean

Online Privacy

With the rapid and constant advancement of technology, there is also a need for just as rapid changes in online privacy laws. This article written by Miguel Helft, details the Technology Coalition and their push for tighter security on the internet. The coalition is comprised of big name technology moguls such as AT&T, Google and Microsoft to name a few. The Digital Due Process coalition, as they have called themselves, is not as interested in blocking hackers or online theft, but rather protect from our own government.

Ultimately, the coalition wants people to feel comfortable uploading all of their important documents online. For this to happen they feel there need to be stricter laws to keep this information protected from law enforcement. As of now, online information may be obtained by courts with a subpoena. What the DDP wants is for the government to have to issue a warrant to be able to gain access to people’s online information.

In addition to making it more difficult to obtain online information for judicial reasons, the group says they will lobby to update the current Electronic Communications Privacy Act which was written before the internet was in use by the public. Mike Hintze, an associate general counsel at Microsoft, had this to say on the issue, “We don’t believe that the balance between privacy and law enforcement should be fundamentally turned on its head simply because people now choose to store documents online rather than in their homes.” The coalition is hopeful yet realistic, they expect to face resistance but know that the times have changes, and so should privacy laws.

I feel that in light of the topic of online privacy this article highlights a very important issue. How is the public expected to utilize new technology to the fullest if we do not feel safe doing so. It is a disheartening thought that what we put on the internet now has the potential to be used against us negatively in the future. With the little amount of effort it takes not for courts to be able to pull up your “private” online records, why would you even consider putting them online? This is the point Google, AT&T and other companies are making. They want people to feel comfortable using their services.

Despite all the advancements on digital security, it is important to remember that there is no such thing as online privacy. Just as it had been mentioned in class, there is most likely a way to find information if someone wants it bad enough, especially considering that we are the ones putting most of it online without even thinking twice. Should the government have access to our online information, I don’t think so; however I also don’t see that changing anytime soon.

Conflict in the Digital Age

Honing in on Colleen R. LaRose has led many to take a closer look at terrorism and what it means to the United States. She earned her online alias name “Jihad Jane” after she was linked Islamic militant forces through the internet. This article, written by Bob Drogin and Tina Susman, shares the frightening truth about the new age of terrorism.

Social media, email, chat rooms all have been revolutionary in today’s standards of communication. The same technology that we use for catching up with family and friends however, is also being used to spread radical propaganda and essentially, terrorism and anger.

The article gives examples of terror stemming from our own backyards. Five Northern Virginia boys were also caught and arrested in Pakistan based on “suspicion of seeking to join anti-American militants in Afghanistan.”

Ultimately, the efforts made by the MAS Freedom Foundation are falling short. They are having a hard time competing with terrorism sites. "They get the backdrop of the Afghani mountains or the battlefields of Somalia. We're speaking from conference centers and quiet halls. Somehow, we have to figure out a way to make our message more newsworthy. We've issued YouTube videos, and it barely gets a couple of hundred hits," said Salam Al-Marayati, executive director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council.

I feel that in light of this topic, the results of how powerful the internet can really be are terrifying. We have seen the product of group think and organization, look at smart mobs for example. Think however, of the implications of the same organization that would go into meeting at the UNC library for a dance party only to meet in a public location and open fire.

Society is being impacted now more so than ever before simply because of the digital technology we have available to us. Not only are Anti-American websites providing a way for extremists to connect, but they are in fact feeding terrorism and egging people on. Fawaz A. Gerges, a terrorism expert at the London School of Economics, says it best, “Basically, Al Qaeda isn't coming to them, they are using the Web to go to Al Qaeda."

The connections made online are irrefutable, websites are not only being used to spread propaganda but also recruit. Figuring out what people want on an individual basis is tough, as a society however, it’s simple, they want to belong and feel a part of something. Web sites like the one created by Anwar al Awlaki have made is possible to terrorists , including Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian charged with trying to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight over Detroit on Christmas Day, to feel a sense of belonging and a place of organization.

People are not just talking anymore, but taking action in violent ways. The evolution of technology has a direct correlation to the evolution of terrorism attacks. The internet also plays a positive role in the War on Terror. Government agencies are just as able to find and track terrorist as they are communicate with each other.

Digital Divide

While the digital divide has left cause for concern, there might be positive shift in the internet access gap. According to this article, written by Gregory Asmolov, Russian families are becoming more and more enabled to access the internet.

It was reported in 2009 that users with broadband access jumped up 36%. The article points out two interesting facts. Over half the Russian population claims that the recent economic downturn has not affected their level of internet usage. This is an amazing thing considering how expensive it is to have internet access in some areas of Russia. This says volumes about just how crucial internet access has become today.

Another point the article discusses is the amount of young Russians beginning to use the internet on their mobile phones, 46% to be exact. This is interesting because not only are Russians becoming increasingly dialed it, but they are jumping from regular internet access to hand held access.

I chose to look at an article about Russia because it’s relevant to interpreting the global divide. It is important to stay informed about what is happening around the world because Russia’s progress means an overall shift in how much of the world now has broadband access and what the shift in the divide is. It is important to remember that Americans are not in this alone and it is imperative for the rest of the world to have access as well.

In light of the topic of the digital divide, this article offers a positive response towards efforts of closing the gap. It is important to see numbers like Russia’s in all countries. It is so crucial that everyone in every country has fair access to the internet for a lot of reasons but mainly so everyone is capable of an education and has an equal opportunity for success.

Countries without the technology and without the knowledge of how to use the technology suffer and are unable to succeed in a global market due to a lack of education.

Russia’s numbers interpret a lot about society as a whole. It is amazing that despite unfair pricing in a lot of Russian areas, people are still willing to pay because that is how important internet access has become to us.

The other day I was at my house and for some reason our internet was down. It could not have been for more than thirty minutes but my roommates and I were devastated, you would have thought it was the beginning of the end. Point being, this is how people that do have broadband access feel about their connections because they are just that crucial to everyday life.

It is a wonderful thing to see numbers like Russia’s, it offers hope that there are advancements in closing the digital divide as well as encourages support.

Podcast #1

Net Neutrality via Podbean.

Online Identity- "Use of Twitter, Facebook rising among gang members"

The use of Twitter and Facebook has proved to be yet another way for gangsters to connect and communicate, however according to this article, released by AP News, the online trail thrills investigators in the San Francisco Bay Area.

As a Communication student, we have been trained to put nothing online that we would be ashamed to show an employer.

We know that transparency has its ups as well as its downs; we also know however that there is no such thing as privacy online. This is something that social networking gang members seem to not be aware of.

In light of online identity, I feel that there is a strong gang influence online that feels protected. I’m sure many people, myself included, never thought that gangs would be keeping up with and utilizing current online trends like they have.

This is what Capt. Walt Myer director of the Riverside County regional gang task force said about gangs usage of technology it, "mirrors general society. When any kind of new technology comes along, they are going to use it.” (AP News)

When you look at all facets of communication that social media optimizes, it is somewhat terrifying that the same instantaneous speed and ability to maintain vast networks is being used to promote gang violence.

Fortunately however, investigators are a step ahead and find the use of social media by gangsters as a somewhat positive thing. What Tweeting gang members may not realize is that what they are creating is an electronic trail of evidence.

This current situation proves to society that people feel comfortable online. A gangster would never walk onto a crowded street and yell at the top of his lungs how much he was selling cocaine for. Online people feel they are playing the part of the invisible man. One might say things about someone or something that they would never have said out loud or to that persons face.

Social media has a great deal of benefits such as networking, the ability to listen to what society is saying, how people are feeling , connecting with people you would otherwise never been able to stay in touch with. Unfortunately, that’s not what gangs are using these sites for.

In the future, I think people, including gang members, will only get smarter about how to maintain an anonymous online identity. This will create more problems for investigators trying to track down criminals. They too however, will be more knowledgeable about ways to track a person’s online presence.

The article states that the social networking sites are already willing to divulge online evidence in certain situations. I assume laws will be passed in an effort to control online gang activity.

In conclusion, I feel this article proves once again that there is no such thing as privacy online; therefore, law enforcement should be able to track and investigate an online identity.

While, these gang members may have online identities concealing their real ones, they are still leaving trails and whether they realize it or not, they are Tweeting themselves into prison.