CNET Mulls Porn's Role in Americans' Privacy Concerns

CYBERSPACE—Over the years, longtime CNET contributor Chris Matyszczyk has addressed just about every issue under the sun related to technology, including, inevitably, adult content and the online porn industry. It is a little odd, therefore, that he seems so perplexed by the results of a recent poll asking Americans about their worst fears about online privacy, writing that "a mere 16 percent of those surveyed said one of their biggest worries was being spied upon while watching pornography." [Italics added.] The use of the word "mere" in that context reveals how strongly Matyszczyk believes people should be concerned about porn. At one point he even asks of the 16 percent figure, "How should one react?" He then proceeds to pose a few possible answers, including, "Should one conclude that this activity is now so normal, so regular, and such a modern substitute for actual physical intimacy that many people think it ho-hum? "Or could it [be that] a vast swath of the population doesn't partake of such a thing or still isn't keen on admitting it, even in an anonymous survey?" In other words, people are either fibbing about porn use, not watching much porn or using porn as a substitute for physical intimacy. He even prefers one of the options, explaining, "Let's plump for the former. This makes it easier to contrast this 16 percent with the 71 percent of Americans who say they're petrified that someone will snoop as they access their bank accounts or other financial data. (Respondents could choose more than one answer.)" But none of this makes any sense. Who wouldn't someone be more concerned about having their bank info stolen than being caught visiting a porn site? And who exactly is monitoring all of these porn site visits, anyway? Matyszczyk does not say, but still believes that the 16 percent number should be higher, otherwise he would never have characterized the percentage as mere. Now, if the respondents had been asked how concerned they are about catching a virus from a porn site, our guess is that the 16 percent number would rise dramatically. But that was not the subject of the survey; privacy concerns were, and in that regard it makes much more sense that people would be more concerned about their financial data than whether someone might find out they're watching porn. It also makes sense that, as Matyszczyk notes, "When it came to which platforms made respondents most insecure, social networks came out on top at 66 percent, with email second at 56 percent." In the end, the biggest takeaway from the piece is simply that Matyszczyk sees the world through a porn glass darkly. He may write, "I choose to conclude that money, what we buy, and how we look are all more important to Americans than whether we enjoy observing others in flagrante to ease our burden," but he betrays himself when he adds, "After all, money, possessions, and looks say so much about us. Watching online porn merely says we're lonely." Maybe, or maybe that's just what watching porn means to Chris Matyszczyk.