Papers should be 3 pages, double-spaced, 12 point font with 1 inch margins. Your paper should use a standard essay format (introduction, body, conclusion) and have a clear thesis statement.

SIMPLE WORDS NO HARD TERMINOLOGY

This assignment allows you to think through how data gathering and surveillance functions in your own life. This will allow you to make more conscious and deliberate decisions about how much you want to be tracked and to what extent you want to protect your data. We will use the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Surveillance Self-Defense Guide to do this. You can find the full resource here: https://ssd.eff.org/en (Much of the information is targeted towards high-risk individuals like journalists and activists.)

First, research what your vulnerabilities might be and/or what tracking and privacy practices you might be opting into without know. Read through these guides from the EFF:

Protecting Yourself on Social Networks: https://ssd.eff.org/en/module/protecting-yourself-social-networks

Communicating with Others: https://ssd.eff.org/en/playlist/want-security-starter-pack#communicating-others

How Do I Protect Myself Against Malware: https://ssd.eff.org/en/module/how-do-i-protect-myself-against-malware

The Problem with Mobile Phones: https://ssd.eff.org/en/module/problem-mobile-phones

(You might also want to run this diagnostic on your browser to determine how protected you are from tracking: https://panopticlick.eff.org/ )

If these resources are too basic for you needs, you might want to use some of the EFF’s other materials. You are also free find your own resources beyond what is required above.

Based on your reading and research, identify three changes that you could make to give you better control over your data and privacy. What they are will depend on what you are doing already. It could range from basic privacy setting to fully encrypted anonymous communication.

Your paper should:

Detail the three changes you could make. Explain what you are doing now and what the potential problem is with that practice/setting/etc. Explain what you could change to mitigate this risk/vulnerability/privacy risk/etc. Indicate whether you intend to make this change and why or why not. Cite the above EFF or other equivalent resources in your discussion of each possible change.