Internet Privacy
Summary
The emergence of new technologies allows governments and corporations to access information on people’s online activities. Corporations can easily access a person’s information and sell it. Additionally, currently the government can easily monitor individuals due to the growing surveillance apparatus and outdated privacy laws. Today, most individuals rely on online databases which have a negative effect on their right to privacy. In most cases, the growing surveillance by the media and corporation has a negative effect on free speech and free association. Mostly, free media is undermined and free exercise of religion is threatened. With the current pandemic, various learning apps have been developed to help learners to learn remotely. However, there is a growing concern of the applications’ ability to spy on students and collect their private and personal information. Additionally, tech companies allow the government to access sensitive personal information that is later used to destroy communities and undermine their rights (Talla, 2020). The government has also been on the forefront seeking to be added as a third party to access encrypted personal information. Such a move would undermine data privacy. Also, introduction of multi users may cause security flaws. For instance, Apple’s multi-user FaceTime had a bug that allowed another person to turn on the user’s microphone before they answered (Callas, 2020). Hence, it shows that secretly introducing the government as a third user may invade a user’s privacy.
The Position of ACLU
The ACLU has been vocal concerning internet privacy. The organisation is taking major steps to educate individuals concerning data privacy and they have also rallied the tech companies to take precaution when dealing with personal data. For instance, they have addressed the issue concerning the alliance between tech companies and both ICE and CBP (Talla, 2020). In one of the articles they maintain that tech companies make it easy for a third party to access sensitive personal information. The data is later used to destroy communities as well as undermine people’s rights. ACLU has been focused on two tech companies, Westlaw and Lexis databases. Based on the organisation, although the two companies maintain that they are focused to help individuals, they are infringing their rights by allowing a third party access to their personal data. Additionally, ACLU is enlightening individuals concerning the free learning apps used by students and data privacy. In one of the articles, the organisation maintains that the applications have features that spy on students and collect their private as well as personal data (Marlow, 2020). Based on the ACLU there have been various misconceptions about internet privacy that companies take advantage of. For instance, people believe that they cannot win the privacy battle, a misconception that most companies take advantage of (Stanley, 2020).
Argument
The ACLU is focused on ensuring that people understand the dangers that the internet offers and the organisation act as an advocate of internet privacy. It is determined to work with the people in making sure that personal data is not shared to a third party. For instance, it has been calling on the tech companies to end their collaboration with the ICE and CBP (Talla, 2020). They maintain that the information gathered by the companies is sold to a third party which is later used to destroy communities. Moreover, the organisation is focused on ensuring that tech companies protect people’s privacy when launching their apps. For example, they maintain that tech companies offering free remote learning apps ought to disable features that spy on students and gather personal data (Marlow, 2020). Although such moves by ACLU may not seem enough to lobby for internet privacy, they educate individuals about the danger of sharing personal data. It helps people understand the steps they need to take when using the internet.

References
Callas, J. (2020). The Recent Ploy to Break Encryption Is An Old Idea Proven Wrong. Retrieved
October 06, 2020, from https://www.aclu.org/blog/privacy-technology/internet-privacy/recent-ploy-break-encryption-old-idea-proven-wrong/
Marlow, C. (2020). Those “Free” Remote Learning Apps Have a High Cost: Your Student’s
Privacy. Retrieved October 06, 2020, from https://www.aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/those-free-remote-learning-apps-have-a-high-cost-your-students-privacy/
Stanley, J. (2020). Three Common Privacy Misconceptions That Companies Love. Retrieved
October 06, 2020, from https://www.aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/three-common-privacy-misconceptions-that-companies-love/.
Talla, V. (2020). ACLU Calls On Tech Companies to End Their Alliance with ICE and CBP.
Retrieved October 06, 2020, from https://www.aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/aclu-calls-on-tech-companies-to-end-their-alliance-with-ice-and-cbp/.