One critic of Social Engineering and Digital Slavery, aka Technocracy, suggests that “Mass surveillance has a chilling effect that distorts public behaviour.” Indeed, the world has little time left to reverse the trend.
Words and phrases from Orwell’s 1984 abound in American culture. Although many are worried after having read the prophetic dystopian novel, few are alarmed enough to do anything to stop it in modern society.
Technocrats in law enforcement obscure the scope of their unconstitutional and possibly illegal activities. An epic battle line is forming between Congress and surveillance hawks.
Technocrats are addicted to data and currently there are almost no regulations preventing law enforcement from using police-state tools. Where is Congress in all this? Apparently, sound asleep.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have been using facial recognition systems in airports and at the border, but insists that it isn’t a surveillance program. Legislators are finally starting to wake up to the fact that, Yes, it IS a surveillance program!
The latest software land rush goes beyond simple face recognition to reading your emotions. This will have thousands of ready applications such as pre-crime analysis and reporting. Of course, just as people misread emotions on a regular basis, so will the algorithm.
Georgetown Law lays down the total surveillance society with skilled and documented precision. Detroit and Chicago may be the first to have China-like surveillance with cameras everywhere, but more cities are close behind. Technocracy is coming, and is dangerously close.
Partially backed by government funding, the Professor blew off the critics of his research claiming it was being used for the ‘greater good’. There are ethical and legal considerations that are being blown off.
Necessary or not, most iPhone users have absolutely no clue what is being uploaded and to where. Data is the new oil of the 21st century and any data about you has value to others who are willing to pay for it.
This story’s sponsor, Here, asks “Can data make cities more human?” Yet, it’s all about them, not citizens: “It’s really a utopia or oblivion moment – it depends on us architects where we want to go.” In reality, citizens don’t care where Technocrats want to go.
