New media makes transmitting information easier, but it also makes accessing information easier as well.
Before new media it was much harder to find social security numbers and other sensitive information about new media. Because of new media pretty much everyone who has a social security number is on file in an online database somewhere. Now not only is it easy to get one social security number, but a person can find millions nicely placed in one spot.
New media has also made most people comfortable with sharing this information especially online. Information that was once thought of as confidential now zips back and forth thru emails, text messages, and photos. Companies even encourage consumers to store their credit card information with them, and most people don’t think twice about doing so.
While privacy & confidentiality really don’t exist anymore people can still protect themselves by being aware of what is going on with their accounts, checking their credit reports and reporting false information, and making sure that they are using secure websites.
AdanneO 