Have you ever had the feeling that, what you think or say didn’t make any sense at all but felt right. Felt 100% right in your gut and yet there’s nothing you can do about this? Have you ever thought that your progress is being monitored and sabotaged without you even knowing.
In case the above paragraph was too confusing, and you’re wondering what am I trying to write and mean. I’ll get to the point. I’m talking about the age of misinformation, surveillance capitalism and how everything and everyone’s data is seen as gold and being used as capital. It’s becoming increasingly difficult to make the distinction between what’s real and what’s digital. Be it people, places, currencies, finding work or even determining the right place to stay or go for a vacation. How does one be sure these days? Can the modern working population or youth just give up on technology and go back to living a life without internet? I’d like to know your comments, views, and ideas on this topic.
Well, I like to consider myself a curious and tech savvy person. Moreover, I’m someone who likes to get into intricate details of things, places or whatever is on my mind. I’m also investigative by nature, I like to question and observe human behavior. The more I travel and experience different culture, the more fascinated by human nature. Most of the times, I try to ignore human behavior which tends to be creepy and risqué. But in the light of data being stolen by FANG (Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google) and many third parties. I’m glad that EU and other countries are waking up to data breach. But honestly, is there another way to collect data apart from web scraping and expecting people to fill online surveys honestly? I really don’t think so. Last I read from an article, that it is, as easy as paying $20 and getting all the information collected on you by the government. I mean how secure is our data and what is happening with our data? If the government can collect and monitor our data, don’t the citizens of a democratic nation have the right to monitor their individual data and see the traffic analysis of the same. I mean how else is democracy working? Years before(5 years to be exact) getting digitally enlightened, this entire domain was a huge question mark for me.
I thought that I had a sound understanding of how the world functions, as I read a lot and discuss hardcore topics with my parents who are also post graduates in the domain of sociology, psychology and geo-politics. By profession, I’m a software engineer so I’d like to consider myself someone who understands the web good enough. Until I did some reflection about my knowledge and understanding about the world after developing an algorithm on analyzing human facial micro-expressions. This project changed the way I look at life and the way it has shaped me as an individual (I honestly became a bit weird and skeptical of the world). I can’t change this aspect of my life anymore, even though I try to. As I come across more distressing news about the world and how dangerous misinformation and misinterpretation can be.
For those who don’t know what micro-expressions are, these are expressions that come from the subconscious mind. These expressions can’t be seen by the naked eye. One needs a highly specialized camera (>150–200 fps ) or years of training to be able to detect these expressions. These emotions are the closest you can get to ground truth. Well, there are other torture techniques in different countries and civilizations used to get the truth out of people or to silence them into submission. I’ll write about those in another article.
Anyways, the growing use of AI and other programming techniques make surveillance not only a lucrative business but also a threat to democracy. The demonstrations in Hong Kong, Thailand, many Latin American countries, recent elections in the US pose no remaining queries in my mind that the established systems of democracy are highly vulnerable. There’s a thin line between a fully functioning democracy and living under an autocratic regime.
If democracy is undermined worldwide, and very people control the flow of information and resources. So is our existence only present to serve the top 1%. Can’t we as an educated society think and do things according to our way and will?
Moreover, if every other person is trying to control someone’s perception and trying to change their lifestyle or sell them a crazy idea or convince them to buy or invest in something that will not enhance their life, it’s people’s right to question and get the right information for this. It’s people right to say no they don’t want to invest in this idea or buy this product. People have the right and will to control their perception, rather than accept what is handed over to them. Rather than being forced into submission by forceful government agencies who recommend and suggest them something that’s not even necessary.
Why can’t there be transparency of information on where and how the money collected from people’s taxes is being spent? Who is responsible for keeping a watch on corruption? Finding the source of corruption is next to impossible and always problematic. The money trail is too well hidden and the top rich continue to keep everything with little or no scope for redistribution. These are the questions that keep me awake. I’d like to know your thoughts on this topic.