The Libertarian Take on Internet Privacy

Internet privacy is becoming a hot topic on a global scale. We are seeing a shift in the importance of free press and speech towards the accessibility of the press and away from the content. This isn't to be confused with the idea that web publications are not monitored. Governments are still snooping around every word that bloggers, activists, whistle blowers, and revolutionists write. In the United States we used to have pride in being the forefront of the free world. I won't say we were always number one, but our attempts at being progressive were somewhat admirable. Now we are here in 2016 and we are being smoked in more ways than one. Today, I want to focus on this issue of internet censorship. So we begin with asking a simple question.

What is internet privacy?

Internet privacy, in my half-trained civilian eyes, is being able to browse the internet freely without being monitored or restricted based on information gathered from my internet usage. Let's break this down a little further because that was a bit long winded. What do we mean by browse the internet freely? I'm referring to the idea of travelling to any website without being tagged, spied on, or triggered. When I visit Tor, a project aimed at internet anonymity created by the United States Navy, I shouldn't be considered someone to keep eyes on. If you use Tor, you are being watched. What do we mean by being monitored or restricted? This is the idea of governments keeping track of your internet activity for whatever they believe is reasonable cause to do so. Privacy from the Federal Government's eyes is incredibly important to the global fight against human rights infringement. 

Where does our government stand?

 The constant spying by the NSA is a blatant violation of all that makes this country great. Unfortunately, Big Brother has recently passed a ruling to take effect in December of this year that allows search and seizure of  electronic media if the location of a computer or device is concealed. In other words, if you use software that protects your identity then you are a target for having your information pried into. This is just one of many rulings that continues to allow government agencies the ability to keep constant tabs on its people. So where does our government stand? Our government is standing right in your way of speaking, acting, and publishing freely. They're only growing larger, too. To the men and women in D.C., the internet is a growing threat to the controlled media that has kept people fearful and faithful.

Where does the Libertarian Party stand?

The Libertarian Party stands for the complete liberation of the United States' citizens and their internet rights. The government should not be in control of this resource, they should not be monitoring this resource, and they should not be spying on its users. It is as plain and simple as that. There is no reason to allow any government the unrestricted ability to monitor and control its citizens' communication. The Libertarian Party supports the actions and truths the internet has allowed people to expose. We believe in its ability to help us keep our rulers in line and the world's people free from oppression. The Republican Party wants to spy on you for more reasons than you can list in a lifetime. The Democratic Party, as exemplified by the current President, seeks to keep your actions monitored and controlled just as badly. Yet again these two parties are fighting for the same thing, and arguing over the reason why. Don't fall for it, don't let them spy on you, start taking action now. 

What can I do?

Tor

There are some actions you can take to help protect your civil liberties. For starters, I suggest visiting Tor and exploring their recommendations for anonymous browsing. Tor is a network with a browser to keep your browsing activities more anonymous and free.

VPN

After learning about Tor you can look into utilizing  a VPN (Virtual Private Network). These services will disguise your IP address and help encrypt your browsing activity. Look for a VPN that doesn't log your activity and combines all IP addresses into one IP address that is publicly visible so you can't be uniquely identified. I prefer using CyberGhost even though the service utilizes many IP addresses across the world. This is a free service and it is simple to use.

Encryption

My next piece of advice for beginners is to utilize encryption tools to keep sensitive documents, such as tax or employment files, encrypted and unavailable to anyone who doesn't have the pass-phrase. AxCrypt is a software that allows you to encrypt each file by simply right-clicking the file and choosing the "encrypt" option.

Vote Libertarian

This isn't a plug, this is one of the biggest steps we can take to ensure our first amendment rights on the internet. When your elections come up take a look at your third party options. There has been too much nonsense in Washington for too long. It is time to take a stand against the two party system and fight for what is right for the American people. Head over to the Libertarian Party website and see what you can do to get involved, donate, and keep this resource free, open, and unrestricted.

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