Surveillance on Social Media

Besides Facebook, I believe the concept of being under surveillance by the government and users is present in other social media sites, like Instagram and Twitter. From our discussion, I think it is alarming how being watched online has become a norm in the digital world. It is also interesting to learn how users are slowly accepting this act. We are monitored through the collection of our data, algorithms, and cookies. Sometimes we are being watched without acknowledging it, and I think that is one negative aspect of social media. I think the most common way that other people surveil each other on social media is by lurking on a person’s profile. For example, someone who is using Instagram clicks on an individual’s profile to discover more about that person. Next thing you know, they find themselves looking at posts from three years ago. The creepiest thing is they start liking that person’s old pictures, and it puts them in the spotlight for lurking on that individual’s page. Also, even the action of constantly “checking” to see if there are any updates on a person’s feed is a form of surveillance because you are watching out for new posts. With that said, I do not think it is possible to limit government surveillance of the public, especially noting that technology continues to advance. Even if sites implemented stricter regulations, the government has a lot of control and power, so I would be sure they would find a smart way to continue shadowing us.