I spent my teen years baring my soul on Blogger, Xanga, Friendster and Myspace, well before there was widespread acceptance and knowledge of the ways companies already did and would increasingly collect and share my data. The idea that there was no such thing as a free service and that, in fact, the cost of doing business with digital platforms is relinquishing control over your personal information is a relatively new one, and it’s too late for me. After years of being extremely online, there’s little hope left for me and my privacy on the internet.
My yet-to-be-born son, on the other hand, has a squeaky-clean slate. His soon-to-be-mother is also a surveillance reporter, equipped with the knowledge of how few privacy protections we have online. I have been handed what has felt like both a unique opportunity and a daunting responsibility: managing and protecting my future child’s digital footprint.
