surveillance
The Apple-fueled Smartwatch hype and the “good times” for surveillance
Since Edward Snowden has begun to reveal the dimensions of the mass surveillance conducted by intelligence agencies, the awareness for the pitfalls of the digital age has increased significantly. At least among many tech savvy creators and consumers, the initial child-like curiosity about the new possibilities has been replaced to some degree by a more nuanced view. While optimism among this group remains, there is now at least somewhat of a real consensus about the possible threat of a full-fledged future surveillance society.
Unfortunately, acknowledging this threat and actively doing something against it are two very different things. According to some surveys, some changes in user behaviour have occurred in the Post-Snowden era. However, the convenience, excitement and temptation of further integration of digital technology as well as the real potential of large-scale improvements in life quality, education, health and finance for people all around the world, mean that we keep getting closer to the dystopic picture painted by sceptics. A bit end-to-end encryption here and there won’t change that. I myself am as guilty in this as most other people. I might write a text like this one, but an hour later check my smartphone’s fitness tracking app to learn about my running performance. It is a dilemma in which a real solution seems to be completely out of reach. Continue Reading
The surveillance state is inevitable
I am sorry to be such a pessimist, but I am afraid we will not be able to avoid the complete surveillance state.
What brings me to this conclusion? The following, seemingly unstoppable dynamic:
1. There will be another terror attack at some point in the future. As Anders Breivik proved, even one person is enough to cause massive harm.
2. After each terror attack, politicians tighten security measures and increase surveillance activities. During the past days, many leading figures in European politics have voiced these kind of demands, with David Cameron going as far as to claim that encrypted communication should be forbidden. Others have asked for more Internet censorship, which is another crucial characteristic of an effective “1984”-style surveillance society: The government systematically eavesdrops on all its citizen, and spreading of information is controlled and censored. While not each demand for increased surveillance immediately will be fulfilled, each small step gets us closer to the described scenario.
3. Meanwhile, the increased advancements of Information Technology make it easier, cheaper and more feasible to conduct systematic mass surveillance by the day.
As much as I hope that we find a way to break out of this vicious circle, I have serious doubts that this will happen. At least since 9/11, the trend is pretty clear: more surveillance, new terror attacks, more surveillance.
Do you see any realistic way out of this mechanism?
Photo: Jonathan McIntosh/Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0