It has been an observation for awhile now that social media websites were created in order to begin a programming model for voluntary abandonment of personal privacy.
Think of the pages long contract a site like Facebook for example has published at its site. Who reads all those pages before registering? And yet in those pages the applicant is informed everything about them will be sold to anyone who has the money to buy it. Marketing groups, and of course the government, and others.
Meanwhile members are lulled into the idea of self-importance. Because now rather than being fans of some celebrity they're the center of attention for the whole world and those who may happen upon their profile due to keyword hits in search engines. It is they now who have followers. And "likes" become a matter of self-consciousness and affirmation of personal worth.
We know a woman who is addicted to Facebook. She updates and posts about everything she does. "Just took a shower. Oh, I love the new Caress bath and body soap (insert scent name here) that I just got from the store. Wonderful stuff!"
Mundane silly stuff like that. It is her full time occupation because she doesn't work.
Who cares? You're just not that important. And yet, such people believe otherwise. They post personal photos and tag the image. The worst part of Facebook is that if you lose your password or you're locked out because you thought you could remember it after not logging in for some time. FB locks your account.
In order to get back in you have to prove your identity.
How do you do that?
There are a number of ways this is accomplished. They all involve giving personal information. Submit a scanned copy of your state driving license. A copy of a utility bill in your name.
Now, after all these years people are oblivious to what they're compromising in matters of personal information at other sites and in other situations.
Right after 9-11 , we're talking a week or two at most, a media array appeared outside the office of a Texas sheriff. He made news because of his public views about personal privacy and national security and the media was there to get him on the record.
He stated that he believed every home in America should have a surveillance system installed that linked directly to local and federal law enforcement. This would allow activities in the home to be observed so as to prevent the event of future attacks.
Not one reporter challenged this sheriff to set the example by installing these surveillance systems in his personal home. Mores the pity. I remember wishing I was there because I would have dared make that suggestion.
Now, all these years later that sheriffs vision is a reality. Only we're not being surveilled at government expense. We're taking that on ourselves.
"Smart TV's" , which began with Samsung, are able to listen to all that goes on in your home. Samsung said it is so as to market to the consumer who purchased their sets. However, what good is an audio feed without the faces to go with? I believe Samsung can also "watch" what is going on.
We have the Alexa system that is a voice activated control mechanism for your home. It can turn on lights, lock doors, answer questions , etc... However, it also listens in.
This was found out when a woman we know who just lost her mom and got the call about her sudden demise shared with friends what transpired. She was weeping inconsolably in her home over the loss of her mom when her Alexa system sounded out, "It'll be OK."
She said she was so shocked to hear this clear loud voice, the volume overcame her crying and screaming in the privacy of her home, that she froze for a moment confused as to who was speaking. Even when she knew the voice of her Alexa system.
We have Fit-Bit watches now. The U.S military personnel are forbidden from wearing those because they can be hacked so as to track the wearer because the Fit-Bit system tracks the owner and records their activities and even their physiological readings. Heart rate, etc...
And of course there are smart cars. The new models can be controlled by the manufacturer so as to take full control of the vehicle. On-Star has an advertisement out now that shows this. A persons car has been car-jacked. The On-Star operator voice plays in the background as they speak to the car owner informing them of the status of their vehicle. Meanwhile, the commercial shows the car slowly pulling to the shoulder of the road while police pull behind. All that is being controlled by On-Star. They locked the car doors and windows to prevent escape. And slowly decelerated the vehicle so that the police could take the thief into custody.
On-Star can also eavesdrop .
EZ-Pass, that system you can install on your windshield so as to blow through toll booths because you have a payment plan with the state also records your travels and keeps a log.
And lastly, your smart phone. It tracks you, it can listen in, and being the camera and video operate from both sides, can be activated to record you and your activities.
A couple of years ago a guy who murdered someone in cold blood was arrested. His smart phone "pocket dialed" 911 at the precise time he was describing in graphic detail the murder he'd committed.
Right. This guy was a gang member. 911 was not on his speed dial.
However, he was the police #1 suspect. They just didn't have any witnesses willing to come forward.
He's now serving life because he testified against himself in that "butt dial" call to 911.
And it all got underway , the programming to make us willingly surrender our personal privacy, with Social Media.
Now Google tracks your phone and is in contract with the government to commit to surveillance of users. And they have an eternal cookie that installs on your computer. It can never be removed even with clearing cache or browsing history. The only way to clear is to revert the hard drive to factory condition. And then never use Google again. But Google is the source for most search engines. Even Duck Duck Go, which boasts it doesn't track you and values your privacy.
Smart phones are programmed to make the user addicted to the phone itself. Ever seen those people who act as if their phone is an additional appendage ? They never put it down. How many here have had people walk right in front of them in a parking lot because that person is looking at their phone?
In one country the government has installed recessed lighting in pedestrian crosswalks. This is so that people on their phones can see where they're going when they cross a street.
Really.
Young kids that have smart phones are suffering physiological disabilities due to their constant use. The muscles in their necks stretched for prolonged periods as they look down at their phones for hours make holding their head upright so as to pay attention in class difficult.
One nation under surveillance and happily surrendering personal privacy. That Texas sheriff wanted that to happen in the name of national security. Now it is happening in the name of social media and communications convenience.
Sorry for the novelette wall of post. It is just that our problems now began with social media. Which doesn't advocate free speech, as we learn when we hear of the prejudice Twitter as example demonstrates when it blocks certain open content due to religious values or conservative political views.
You are correct and there was a book written back in 1947 by George Orwell who gave the warning...……
" of the rise of totalitarian police states that will ‘say that two and two are five".
