It's not the fact that Big Brother is always watching that should have us fearing for our privacy, as it turns out, one of the biggest culprits for making it feel like eyes are always on you...could be you.
While it's sometimes cringeworthy to look back at our Facebook posts and how we'd make a whole album of photos just for a single night out, in 2026, we're putting even more of our lives online without even realizing it.
Even though there was vocal backlash when people wanting to access Pornhub refused to hand over their details due to privacy concerns, it seems we're more than willing to fill our phones full of apps that are spying on us in plain sight.
Some are becoming savvier to this epidemic, like when TikTok's updated Terms of Service led to users deleting the app when they realized their likeness could potentially be used without them knowing.
Advert
A resurfaced advert from Deutsche Telekom will make you rethink what you put out there on social media, especially if you have children. Originally released in 2023, "A Message from Ella | Without Consent" is specifically aimed at one demographic, as it reminds us that 8 out of 10 parents have followers they've never met.
Using the example of nine-year-old Ella, the media company took her parents' social media and warned them about how they could be 'obliviously' impacting their daughter's life.
Taking just one photograph and manipulating it with AI and deepfakes, the company made a grown-up version of Ella and put her in a movie that was played to her unsuspecting parents.
The AI Ella says: "Hey Mom, hey Dad, it's me, Ella. Well, a digital version of me, just a bit older.
“It's amazing what technology can do these days, isn't it? All you need are a couple of pictures like the ones you share on social media, where they can be taken and used by everybody."
This AI creation reminds us that while these images and videos are there so you can remember the good times, we're facing a 'horrible future' where they can be used as data to steal someone's identity.
Painting a picture of a dystopian world where someone could be sent to prison for something they haven't even done, the harrowing ad goes on to show how inappropriate images could also be generated.
Given that this was nearly three years ago, we only dread to think what you could do with the same version of Ella these days. It was only recently that officials confirmed Elon Musk's Grok had manipulated images of children as young as 11.
The virtual Ella concluded: "What you share online is like a digital footprint that will follow me around for the rest of my life. I'm telling you this because I know you love me and would never do anything to harm me. So please, Mom, please Dad, protect my virtual privacy."
After proving hard-hitting at the time, the advert has resurfaced on X, as someone said it makes you rethink everything. Even though some referred to it as fear-mongering, others agreed with its impact. One person added: "What feels like nostalgia today can become exposure tomorrow. Be intentional. Think twice. Your digital footprint is not just yours—it belongs to the world."
Another said: "It is necessary to be aware of the risks of the increasingly online world to put it mildly..."
Giving an even more grim prognosis, a third concluded: "I mean, Photoshop was invented in 1987. So basically, this ability for photo manipulation has been around for almost 30 years already. Of course, AI has made it much easier and quicker."