To Tweet or no to Tweet?

Do you know how I first heard the news that the iconic vocalist Whitney Houston passed away? It was through a tweet from a friend of mine. Do you think the first word I received about the war in Iraq being over was from looking at the news? Nope. This news was given to me via a Face book post from my cousin who was a soldier for our country. This goes to show that, aside from being fun and trendy, social networks are usually one of the first sources for important or major information in this day in age. With that being said, what happens when the government begins to control what is published online? What if my cousin was never allowed to create his Face Book post because the government did not think the news was ready to be released yet? If government control over social networks is not balanced correctly, then the general public will be taken out of the loop of current events until the government decides they want news to be released.

Obviously there is a line between what news is beneficial to society and what classified information is. Of course if someone is tweeting or creating Face Book posts including things that are supposed to be top secret knowledge, such as United States military strategies, then the government should step in and restrict that information from being released. For example, during the riots in England, social networks were very detrimental. This is so because a lot of the public were ill informed about the cause of the riots due to social networks, and thus were against the English government. It had even gotten to the point where citizens were using the internet to plot violence against the authorities. Because of this, the English government is looking into cutting off access to networks such as Twitter and Face Book during social unrest.

However, there needs to be some kind of check and balance system that ensures that the government does not control information that the public has the right to know. For example, in China there are Buddhist Monks that are rejuvenating their temples by incorporating the use of the internet. This is a luxury that these people have not been able to enjoy, and now the Chinese government is trying to control that. These people have the right to learn how to use the internet and enjoy it, but the government is already pondering ways to regulate their usage. An article on BBC News China says “The government likes to control the flow of information through traditional media outlets to shape what people think - just one of their tools to maintain power.”This clearly shows that the Chinese government is controlling social networks to mold citizens into thinking the way the want them to think, rather than controlling them for the safety of the people.

At the end of the day I believe that it is completely necessary for the government to have some control over the social networks that are being used. However, as you can see with the two examples presented, there is a line between what the government should and should not control.

We Should Be Slacking on the Tracking

In this day in age, people use Global Positioning Systems (GPS) in everyday living. It is perfectly normal to see people using a GPS in their vehicles, on their phones, or even to add the location on a tweet. However, the problem comes in when these systems become the primary tool for vicious acts such as stalking. The invention of the GPS has been a dream come true to man, but it is important that we control its use so it does not become a nightmare as well.

            According to Erik Eckholm’s article “Personal Use of GPS Trackers Growing Fast”, the personal use of GPS trackers is growing at an alarming rate. These trackers were once only used by Police for tracking criminals. Now, every day consumers are buying GPS trackers. There are some very beneficial uses for GPS trackers. For example, if you are a worried adult whose elderly parents have dementia and constantly get lost, it can be just what the doctor ordered. These devices become an issue when suspicious partners begin using them to track their spouses, or crazed lovers use them as stalking devices. Sadly, consumers are not the only problem at hand. According to an article by John Quain, even internet domains, such as Google and Face Book, are using digital surveillance to view users personal information. The ludicrous thing about it all is that legislation was passed so that Police Officers had to get warrants before utilizing GPS trackers. If law enforcement needs special permission for these devices, why should regular civilians have such easy access to them?

            I am sure that we all can agree the GPS has revolutionized society in many ways. Thanks to the devices we can now find our way to an address we have had no prior knowledge o simply by entering a few words and numbers. However, I am also sure that no one wants to live in a world where a father is scared for his daughter because some obsessed teenager has placed a tracking device inside her car’s bumper.  I believe GPS trackers should be limited to certain trust worthy individuals, such as law enforcers, care takers of dementia patients, etc. However, it does not stop there. According to an article on GPS Tracking News, the use of GPS tracking on cellular devices has been rapidly increasing. Therefore I believe cellular devices should come with certain restrictions to the GPS software. The point of it all is that the use of GPS Trackers needs to be controlled; in other words “We should be slacking on the tracking “!