As the internet evolves and everyone contributes either to its content or comments, we lose a lot of fear about what could happen online. We begin to think, “being private is sketchy,” and “not responding to texts” is rude. However, with deepfakes created by generative artificial intelligence, and other cybersecurity concerns, it’s time to consider why online safety is so important.
It’s common to hear about data leaks where our information or a company’s information gets posted online for the public to see or leaked. We often click ads, accept internet cookiesand follow other links that can lead to our information being stolen. Being more cautious in our daily internet use can easily protect our information from potential leaks of our own private information. Avoid spam messages, think before you click a link and use strong passwords.
Photos we post online can also be used for scams to impersonate celebrities or public figures to endorse a product. A rising concern among the topic of internet safety is publishing photos that can be used to create AI deepfakes. Those who aren’t celebrities or public figures are also discovering that their image is being used for similar reasons.
Amanda Aguilar discovered her likeness was being used on a fake social media account. The account was messaging as Aguilar and used altered videos from her real Instagram to scam people. Aguilar discovered this through friends who had been made aware of the fake account.
There are many resources today that teach how to notice or detect a deepfake. There are also efforts to enact laws to protect us against explicit AI deepfakes.
For example, the Federal Trade Commission Act has the authority to crack down on unfair or deceptive business practices with synthetic content, like deepfakes.
Though annoying, two-step verification is a helpful addition to any online account. I use an authenticator app for almost all my accounts, from Gmail to Instagram. Adding an extra wall to your account can prevent hacks into your account when a data leak occurs.
As people are going analog for the new year, online safety should be a part of the conversation. Disconnecting from being online can be beneficial to find value in our lives. It takes away the pressure of sharing information about ourselves or tidbits into our minds. In a way, being offline is a way to be safe.
Substack writer by the name “Terodoraa” shares a more introspective view of being private online with a post titled, “normalize not telling anyone anything.” They wrote, “Privacy is often confused with secrecy, but they are not the same. Privacy is choosing what stays yours. Secrecy is hiding with fear.”
The Substack post also mentions not sharing everything can allow creative ideas to perfect themselves. Letting the pressure of online presence go can make us more present in our physical lives and, therefore, more connected with ourselves rather than our curated feed.
The analog trend is defining how we use the internet, even if a bigger conversation is at play. The early days of posting about breakfast to now, shaping an Instagram feed like an influencer. We are curating our lives for content and don’t need to be. For our safety, we should choose to share less.
I used to be adverse to the idea of sharing my age online. I hated it. I felt it kept me safe. Yes, I showed my face, but I didn’t publicly mention my age until I was 18-years-old. I also remember hiding my age because you couldn’t use social media until certain ages, like 13-years-old for TikTok and for uploading YouTube videos without parental permission.
Actually, being 13-years-old is the age when you are allowed to choose how you share your information online. This can be tricky because most 13-year-olds are not closely reading community guidelines or thinking about what videos they post. However, in an age of sharing everything online, they might be curating content, too.
Under parental observation, kids can have content curated for them, like platforms such as YouTube Kids. However, the lack of online spaces for kids is continuing to be an issue. As a kid, I learned from online spaces like Animal Jam, which frequently reminded me of game safety. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act does put requirements on websites directed to children to put parental permission into the picture. However, it’s not uncommon for people to lie about their age online to bypass age requirements for popular social media apps, like TikTok.
To be safe online, we have to choose carefully when deciding what information we are posting. We have to cover our tracks with our digital footprint and create private shared photo albums for our friends and family. Building safe spaces or dialing back our internet usage to be safe. Oh well, analog or not, check out what online tips fit your needs and stay safe.
Cassidy McClurg is a freshman student studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Cassidy about their column? Email cm303824@ohio.edu
