The internet: a place where people from all over the world can connect and share their own ideas. The internet is supposed to be a safe place, a place where a person’s privacy should be respected. In Sept. of 2017, Yahoo experienced one of the largest data breaches in history. Also in Sept. of 2017 Equifax, a credit monitoring company, experienced a hack that also affected millions of people in this country. With data breaches happening almost every day, is it safe for people to put their personal information online anymore? With the modern technology available to all people, it is unlikely data breaches can be fully stopped, but companies need to at least become more proactive in trying to prevent these breaches.

“It is irresponsible for companies to have so much personal information about people and then not keep their security systems constantly updated and secure,” junior Ethan Asis said.

Asis thinks that part of the blame should also fall on the people who give their information to these companies because everyone needs to know their information is never really safe.

“There are certain risks we take by going on the internet, but it’s not like we can just stop using it. It has become such a vital part of our lives,” Asis said.

As Asis said, the internet has become such an important part of our lives that it is hard to simply stop using it out of fear that personal data might be made public.

This brings up the question, though, of whether privacy is a right or not anymore. In theory, privacy should be a right. The first amendment allows for freedom of speech among others, but that implies that what one person says or does should also be respected and not be publicized. If it is so easy for a hacker to access personal information, then why can’t companies use some of their skills to protect their own companies. Hopefully, these data breaches make companies rethink their security policies and increase their protection.

Even though students do not have the same personal data presence online as adults, it is still important that all people recognize the risks. Anything they put online can be found and used against them. Everyone needs to be more aware and selective about what they put online because while data breaches may keep happening it’s important to try to control what gets leaked.