The Surveillance Society: Online Incursions into Your Privacy
Online Surveillance
The drumbeat of online surveillance continues to beat louder, a long tail with no forseeable end. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, Google overrrode the privacy settings on Safari, Apple’s web browser, to put tracking cookies on user’s hard drives. According to Robert D Steele, a former CIA agent, Google was funded in part by the CIA. Writing on prisonplanet.com, Paul J Watson writes that “Google is also working with the government to use microphones in the computers of an estimated 150 million-plus Internet active Americans to spy on their lifestyle choices and build psychological profiles which will be used for surveillance and minority report style invasive advertising and data mining.” This surveillance strategy goes beyond your computer, to your cable TV box and your Tivo. There are microphones in cable boxes that were activated in 2006. Big Brother is listening and furthering its surveillance practices while you watch TV and are on your computer. There are also gps chips in your cell phone and in your car to continue monitoring your movements when you are away from your computer or TV. The government can also listen in on your private conversations with other people through your cell phone, even when you are not talking on your phone and your phone is turned off! We live indeed in a surveillance society.
Twitter, Facebook and Datasift
Twitter recently sold every tweet ever made to Datasift. Datasift said they are close to making a similar deal with Facebook. Datasift plans on selling this information to any company that wants to buy it. That means not only marketing companies, but government intelligence agencies. Think NSA, CIA. Maybe even Mossad, MI6 and the Russian security agencies. Surveillance for everyone, no exceptions. Wherever you go. Whatever you do. You are being watched, monitored and listened to. The dark shadowof total surveillance follows us wherever we go.
Why You Shouldn’t Give Away Personal Information
Google has over 2 billions users, Facebook has over 845 million users, and Twitter has over 300 million users. If you use these sites, you’re giving them reams of free data about your habits, your relationships, where you live, your interests etc. Don’t think you have nothing to hide. You never know how and when that data might be used against you. Much of this information is furhterlisted at sites like Spokeo which lists where you live, who lives with you , your age etc. For a low fee people can get access to all sorts of information about you that you would rather keep to yourself.
We live in a surveillance society. Think before you speak and before you tap your keyboard. The less personal information you share online the better.