Lost in CyberSpace

                                                             

       Some people are very uncomfortable with the fact that companies are placing cookies on their computer to track interests, questions, and algorithms as they surf the web. Many feel our basic rights to privacy are disappearing.  The idea of using filter bubbles to personalize our access to Internet information is one such example that seems almost like corporate totalitarianism. How can we justify the imposition of ‘filters’ on the type of information that people can access in a democracy that prides itself on freedom?
       Some may argue that the idea of narrowing searches based upon filters is understandable given the vast amount of information that is available today. However, just as we do when researching information for our literature reviews, filters should be self-selected not imposed. Can you imagine a future scenario where filters were involuntarily placed on all requests for information including searches for library books, journals, or dissertations? It makes one wonder if this is not already happening when a search is made on engines such as Google Scholar. One must also wonder who gets to decide which people and groups get access to what type of information. Could this become an equity issue in 10 or 20 years?