Privacy 2.0

Is privacy still relevant in todays society? Is there such a thing as privacy anymore in our society with all the technology that is present? Upon thinking about this subject matter I googled the definition of "Privacy" which stated "the state or condition of being free from being observed or disturbed by other people". To me this concept is fading away very fast if it hasn't already. I don't feel like I have any real privacy when it comes to the idea of big brothers always watching especially with the technology that is active in our everyday lives. We are being watched and tracked everyday whether we are aware of it or not. First example that I have that I came aware of about three months ago is the location services on your iPhone. There is a service hidden deep within the iPhone that comes active with every new phone that is purchased. I came aware that my phone was tracking my location when I accidently swiped down I saw that my phone said "right now it would take you about 11 minutes to drive home". I saw this and thought to myself I don't remember putting in any address in my phone telling it what my home address was. This generally concerned me I googled iPhone tracking services and found something that I wasn't very happy about. Under the location tab there is a switch called frequent locations and when I opened it up to see what content had been stored I was quite sickened with the information that was saved. The phone tracked every location that I had visited and for how long I stayed there up to the minute that I left that location. This is alarming to me that my phone tracked and stored this information with out me knowing. This gets me thinking how else am I being tracked on a daily bases without my knowing?
With the notion of privacy in the media the NSA has many times been at the forefront of the many issues regarding privacy and surveillance and what they are able to access and track. The NSA was found to have been working with major telecommunications provider AT&T in which they were intercepting average Americans phone calls and internet communications. Every time you search something on the web that information is being stored and tracked for others to have access to. Aside from being stored it is also using that information to classify you into a particular category or group in which information can then be sent back to you based off your stored searches. What are concerns when surfing the web or operating on and within your social media sites? How can we protect ourselves? One thing I found is that the users need to familiarize themselves with the privacy policy and adjust there settings to there desired results. Many people simply just aren't aware that their information is being stored and tracked they are naïve to the thought of someone else being able to use that information against them. Education oneself is the first step in protect yourself know what information is viewed as well as viewed by. It also begins with trust, who are you willing to trust on your social networks with the information that you have posted. I know that I honestly don't really know half of the people who follow me on Facebook so why would I post something to people whom I don't know or trust. This is the thinking that tends to get overlooked when someone shares information about themselves we tend to not realize the potential audience that we are reaching on a daily bases with our posts and searches on social media. Users need to take caution and be aware of what they are doing and who could potentially see what there doing. Doing this will increase your safety and private information while online.