The rapid spread of social media has fundamentally changed our lives in recent years. More and more people are using platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and others to network, share information and organize their daily lives. Users not only evaluate their own past, but also their future possibilities and decisions.It is easy for outsiders to understand which social networks and apps are regularly used, which contacts are linked to and which relationships exist between individual user accounts. The question often arises as to why users pair their email and social media accounts with other applications, such as video games or online shops. This isOften a comfort aspect, since a login via existing accounts opens many doors – but also for the data flow.
Data exchange between applications
If you log into a new app with your Facebook or Google account, you usually unconsciously transfer a large amount of personal data. These applications often require explicit access to sensitive information such as contacts, calendars, photos, microphones, cameras or location data. Although users are asked for permission, they face the dilemma that a rejection of the permissions is oftenmakes using the app impossible. This compulsion to release personal data causes uncertainty and concerns about data protection for many people. The idea that apps in the background without the user’s knowledge could activate the camera or take sound recordings has become a nightmare for many. Nevertheless, social networks offer numerous functions to make everyday lifeto organize, schedule appointments or stay in touch with friends. However, the benefits are always associated with significant risks that should be considered.
Cyber espionage: Invisible threat in digital space
In the shadow of the progressive digitization, cyber espionage has established itself as a central theme of the modern information society. Cyber espionage is targeted attacks that attempt to steal secret or confidential data from computers, smartphones or networks of other users. Hackers use a variety of methods: viruses, trojans andOther malicious programs are infiltrated into systems to steal sensitive information. A notorious example is the Trojan Terdot, which not only aimed at bank details, but also enabled access to e-mails, social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google services. The attackers often act in secret – many cyber attacks are called operationscarried out under false flag to disguise the true origin and lure investigators on the wrong tracks.
The Chair for the Coursers: Traceability Methods
Since hackers expect their attacks to be discovered and analyzed, they do everything they can to blur their tracks. They manipulate timestamps, use fake names and obscure the geographical origin of their IP addresses. Cybersecurity experts rely on a variety of indicators in the analysis: language tracks in the code, typical working hours, usedSoftware libraries or localization of the servers used. The tracing of attacks is a complex undertaking that often reaches its limits, as the perpetrators are acting worldwide and government actors are deliberately spreading disinformation. Not only criminals, but also governments use cyber espionage. States use hackers or specially commissioned groups to rivalSpying on governments, obtaining strategic information or sabotaging critical infrastructure.
Monitoring and government intervention: The example of the USA
In addition to spying on other states, many governments also monitor their own citizens. A well-known example is the Patriot Act, which was then signed by then US President George W. Bush after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. This far-reaching law allowed US authorities to massively expand both national and international surveillance systems toTo recognize and prevent terrorist activities at an early stage. In 2013, Edward Snowden, a former National Security Agency (NSA) employee, caused a worldwide sensation when he published secret documents that disclosed the extent of US and British surveillance programs. The revelations show that not only foreign heads of government anddiplomats, but also millions of ordinary citizens were monitored. This included saving SMS, listening to phone calls and logging all online activities.
Edward Snowden’s revelations: Global surveillance
Snowden revealed that the NSA and the British intelligence service GCHQ jointly operated a gigantic network for monitoring communication data. The GCHQ, for example, tapped hundreds of millions of connections a day with 200 fiber optic cables. The US monitored over 35 heads of government, including leading politicians from Europe, Asia and other parts of the world. Snowden publishedSecret plans and technical details that proved how far-reaching and systematic the surveillance was organized. After his revelations, Snowden first fled to Hong Kong and then to Moscow to avoid extradition to the United States. There one month in the airport transit area had to be held out because the US government revoked his passporthad. He faces a long prison sentence in his home country for the disclosure of state secrets and the publication of confidential government documents.
States and Companies: The practice of digital surveillance
Many countries outside the USA and Great Britain also use digital surveillance. Police authorities, interior ministries and secret services use modern technologies and sophisticated algorithms to uncover crimes, fight terrorism or take preventive action against potential dangers. Each country has its own methods and focus. an investigationThe renowned business magazine “The Economist” listed the ten countries with the most requests for information about Facebook users: Argentina, Brazil, Great Britain, France, India, Spain, the United States, Germany, Italy and Australia. These inquiries are not only aimed at Facebook, but also at other large Internet platforms. They prove how muchGovernment agencies and private companies are interested in the data of digital users.
Opportunities and risks in the digital age
The use of social media and digital applications offers many advantages – from increased efficiency in everyday life to new possibilities of communication and information. At the same time, however, the risks are growing: The abandonment of personal data, threat of cyber attacks, state surveillance and the risk of becoming victims of identity theft or other crimes areomnipresent. It is therefore more important than ever to be aware of these challenges and to be responsible for your own data. Anyone who uses digital services should always weigh up which information is disclosed and how it could be used. Because in the digital jungle, your own vigilance is the best protection.
