Ever get sick of Facebook constantly changing their privacy restrictions, or having them share information with third party sites? Or have you ever been freaked out by how Google knows what you like? Ever looked yourself up on Spokeo.com? With the world wide web holding on to every byte of our information from profile settings to those embarassing Facebook photos, many lawmakers in Europe and the US are calling for "the right to be forgotten".The law would make privacy rules more transparent and understandable for users of social media sites, and tougher for companies to get personal information from users. Its unclear what direction the US will take on the matter, but Europe wants companies to verify consumer information via for pop-up consent boxes, and even removing names from sensitive news articles so that victims and suspects can hold on to some privacy.
I think the creation of a law like the right to be forgotten is a move in the right direction. More studies prove that children coming of age in the digital generation have no sense of "pure privacy". Just about every website you visit wants you to create a log-in and password to do everything from read an article,listen to music, or order takeout. Don't comply, and the visit to that site gets locked away in a mysterious cookie-land. Think that ad for your favorite soda popped up in your e-mail out of sheer coincidence? Think again.
