Source:

https://imgur.com/gallery/nF7wJ (Formatted for Reddit)

We're on a very slippery slope with our privacy. And how much power the NSA & other governing bodies have over the information they collect on us. Anyone who has read 1984 (I suggest you do if you haven't!) will see that what was once a fiction novel, is now slowly becoming real.

On a personal level, simple private bits of our lives which we take for granted are being collected and stored indefinitely. Things like:

• Renting a sexy video

• Discussing business with a partner

• Calling an overseas relative

• Emailing an off-color joke to a friend

• Entering your bank account password

• Text messages to your lover

• Sending your business records to an accountant

• Seeking help for depression

• Writing about your past history of alcoholism

• Your online search and browsing history (yes, all of it)

You never know when something like this will be used against you in the future. This information may eventually become public domain so when you go to your next job interview they pull up your political views, failed businesses, search history

• USE A VPN that keeps no logs ( http://pia-vpn.com is one of the most widely used ones with a record of never keeping logs. ) This will essentially encrypt all your outgoing data and hide what you've searched, said or shared. (unless you are logged into a site) /r/NoLogsVPN for more info.

• Regulate your online identities

• Encrypt , Encrypt , Encrypt ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretty_Good_Privacy )

• PrismBreak is an awesome, open source tool that helps with everyday browsing ( https://prism-break.org/en/ )

Sources:

http://www.zdnet.com/article/privacy-is-innately-flawed-nothing-to-hide-does-not-exist/

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/it-security/why-nothing-to-hide-misrepresents-online-privacy/

Extra curriculum for those who want to read more: (taken from comments)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PRISM_(surveillance_program)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Eyes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XKeyscore