Debate Speech

Firstly I would like to put forward a question, can you imagine a world without privacy. A world where everyone has access to your personal information. How many people here would feel uncomfortable or embarrassed with others viewing their private photos, videos or messages?

Good morning 10 Morse and Ms. Falconer, today I will be addressing the second point for the negative side, that personal privacy is a necessity and should be relied upon in the online world of today.

As speaker 1 previously explained, confidentiality is a big part of society and is needed to keep personal records safe from prying eyes. But what about personal privacy online?

Just recently there was a worldwide scandal of naked photos of celebrities being leaked. Apple’s iCloud was hacked and the photos were posted online for the world to see. These people that were may have been previously idolised now have a great black mark next to their name. Their privacy was encroached on and their dignity took a big hit.

However, privacy a simple concept, it is also easy to access in some cases. The click of a button can change who can see your profile on Facebook. How easy is that? These privacy features are used to keep people safe in the modern world. Did you know that in 82% of online sex crimes against minors, the offender used the victim’s social networking site to gain information about the victim’s likes and dislikes. But we have the power to stop this.

Every year identity crimes cost Australia upwards of $1.6 billion, with the majority lost by individuals through credit card fraud and identity theft. We clearly need additional privacy countermeasures to cut the cost to the Australian government and to the Australian people.

The grim nature of the evidence shows the huge aspect that privacy plays in
our life and also how easily privacy is manipulated. These pieces of evidence clearly indicate that personal privacy, whether it is online or in real life, is not only a realistic fundamental requirement it is also a human right, as our third speaker will further explain.

In his fight for privacy and personal liberties, Edward Snowden said ‘I do not want to live in a world where everything I do and say is recorded. That is not something I am willing to support or live under’.