---
# System prepended metadata

title: Privacy

---

# Privacy
## Your Identity
Searching my name didn't yield much in the realm of results. [Joshua Shapiro](https://www.governor.pa.gov/) pretty much exclusively results in the Governor, and not me. **joshua shapiro -governor -"Chief Compliance Officer",** results in finding a few other 'non-me' Joshua Shapiro's. Narrowing via search keywords didn't prove that useful.
![MyIdentity](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AKGpihbpKqZQYEaRHm4d8CJw7L8_x2y3wC2dnh6ipmhfk19qvaEq1_BFjkRfgULc3zryYA994Mm84JKbp_hai64jG-GK1--djFXzb-Y=s1600-v0)

Utilizing [TruePeopleSearch](https://www.truepeoplesearch.com/) was far more successful. Within seconds, I found more information about myself than I am comfortable shaing. It had the same ease with my parents as well.

## Browser
Checking [What every Browser knows about you](https://webkay.robinlinus.com/) also brings with it some good insights, but also some protections. My settings in Google prevent location data unless I explicitly permit it, which left that category empty.

The software knowledge felt mostly unuseful, though was very accurate. The hardware section, however, was quite terrifying.
![Hardware](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/drive-viewer/AKGpihZ8nBVMdXEP-q4lcc9LPImGJgdLEwPpVK0ruabrD3yA44pukDXIhWgf3ctuHmNQFGOeYBwZRGpJPupciisVoDSsc1fcqGdNNfA=s1600-v0)

The detail about my computer's hardware felt quite invasive, despite being applicable to a large amount of people. Knowing that my browser (and therefore the sites that I use). I am uncomfortable that apps like Facebook and Google can determine when I charge my device, and when I experience intensive use, even correlated against time. I also had no idea that a generic site could see whether or not I was signed into other Social Media sites!

## Google
Starting with search activity, this is a feature I have been familiar with. Google doesn't just track what you search on their search engine, it tracks all of your activity across all Google products. YouTube history, Gmail history, and Google Maps lookups.

I intentionally use Google Map's timeline, as I like to track how frequently I visit certain places, and I can use it to validate where I was on a given date. I have been able to use it to correct time card accuracy, and see where I have been.

The Google Ads page seems to have changed somewhat recently, as it looks a lot cleaner than I remember it being. Rather than just a blunt list of attributes that make up my profile, they now provide less information. However, clicking "Customize Ads," shows a similar list to what I used to see. My most-seen ad categories are:
1. Restaurants
2. Gardening
3. Investing
4. Business & Productivity Software
5. Ticket Sales & Exchange
## Social Network
I don't make use of TikTok or Twitter, but I took a look at the FB Privacy Checkup, and all of the information that is to be of concern is already shown to "only me."
# Reading Response
Imagine waking up to find your bank account drained and embarrassing photos leaked online. With the ever-growing threat of hacks and data breaches, is giving up our privacy the price we pay for convenience? Or can we fight back and protect ourselves in this digital age? Maintaining privacy on and offline is vital, yet it is getting increasingly difficult. As user data has become more valuable, we have seen a rise in data brokers — effectively worsening the situation.

Just last week, I was talking to a friend about wanting to try a new restaurant in Vermont. We hadn't even looked up any places yet, but later that day, while scrolling through social media, I was bombarded with ads for restaurants in the area. While convenient, this experience made me acutely aware of the web tracking my every move.

While recent studies by mobile security companies like [Wandera](https://www.wandera.com/mobile-security/phone-listening/) have debunked the microphone myth, they expose a far more concerning reality: We are tracked in a multitude of ways, and this vast "trove of trackable data" is used to create a scarily accurate picture of our lives.

Social media platforms and advertisers don't need to listen to our conversations. They can discern a remarkable amount of information from our online activity, location data, app permissions, and even seemingly innocuous details like who our friends are and where we shop. This data is then fed into powerful algorithms that can predict our needs and desires with impeccable accuracy.