Jordan Hawkes
Mark Rockswold
English 1010
29 April 2016
Argument Essay
We live in an increasingly digital age. In the last decade, our lives have been
dramatically altered through the use of technology. Almost every person carries a very powerful
computer in their pocket. We share the details of our lives with each other on social media sites
like Facebook and Instagram. We use ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft which track our
locations and can see where we live, work, and go to school. We are served digital ads on the
web based on our google searches and Facebook likes. These “digital bread crumbs” are created
by the apps and services that we use, and our cellphones have become a treasure trove filled with
the details of our private lives. This has sparked a great debate between the government and
technology companies about the use of encryption.
Simply put, encrypting data is like locking it up in a box that can only be unlocked by a
key that is solely owned by you. Even if someone were able to hack into your phone or
computer and steal that box of data, they would not have the key to unlock it, thus rendering it
completely useless. This is huge for personal privacy and security; however, it is posing
problems for law enforcement, and they want to ban the use of encryption. Government officials
argue that encryption blocks them from being able to view the contents hidden on the cell phones
of suspected terrorists and criminals. While this is true, the issue is much more complicated.
The data on our phones needs to be encrypted for our own privacy and security. In fact, it should
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be mandated that companies encrypt our personal data, and they should be heavily penalized for
not complying.
Since 2008 the U.S. Military, Heartland Payroll, Sony, Home Depot, Target, Anthem, JP
Morgan Chase, eBay, and countless other services and websites have been hacked. “In a series
of attacks since late 2013 crime rings have stolen up to $1 billion from more than 100 banks in
30 countries” (Price). These hacks are becoming more prevalent and more sophisticated. The
advent of technology has made our lives easier, but it has also opened our lives to the possibility
of being hacked. “Experts warn that more individuals will face attack as automobiles, household
appliances and other widely used items are linked to the Internet” (Price). New “smart” items
are introduced every day, intended to help make our lives easier; but if the data that these devices
collect is not properly secured and encrypted, it will become a high profile target for hackers.
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