Topic 23 Internet and Privacy

Internet is playing a more important role in our life.

We work with it, giving and receiving orders;

we communicate with it, through e-mail, on-linephone, or MSN;

we entertain with it, playing games, watchingmovies, and enjoying music;

we study with it, looking for and exchanginginformation;

we live with it, doing shopping and banking.

Besides, we can log on to the Internet on campus, ina bar, at home, or in a hotel, almost anywhere anytime.

However, if we want to enjoy the service,

we have to register with many websites, typing in our name, age, gender, address, andtelephone number.

And these become part of contents stored on-line.

With the “professional” hackers, despiteful and harmless, as well as irresponsible websiteadministrators,

the information might be stolen and made open and even sold.

A case in point is the junk mails.

A better example is the privacy of pop stars.

As a result, while enjoying the great convenience and speed of Internet,

we are called sometimes by strangers, visited by promotions and junk ads, and cheated bysomeone unexpectedly.

Therefore, think twice before deciding to register on-line.