THE PRIVACY PARADOX

Seen, Heard, Acknowledged, Watched and Targeted!

In our relentless pursuit of progress, connectivity, an ever-growing desire for “15 minutes” of fame and an unclear notion of security we find ourselves at a crossroads: how much of our personal data, our liberal freedoms and privacy are we willing to relinquish in exchange for convenience, cash or oversight? The concept of privacy has become a paradox!

As technology evolves, more of our lives become exposed. Already our movements are tracked, our words, downloads and uploads are analysed and our preferences are anticipated. This raises critical questions about fundamental rights. In this era, where many aspects of our existence can be scrutinised and examined, safeguarding personal privacy should be more crucial than ever.

However, this erosion of privacy is evident across the globe and it’s escalating. Citizens have yet to truly grapple with the consequences of the deterioration. Critical dialogues have emerged, shedding light on the disparate impacts and ethical considerations that underpin mass data collection and surveillance states – yet they largely go unheard. “I’m doing nothing to worry about, I’m not doing anything wrong!”, are typical cries of exasperation when challenging a choice of digital tool.

Already by 2017 in the United States, most people were unaware that during a simple drive to the supermarket they were photographed about 15 times on average. They also featured on video for roughly 90 seconds. Their texts and calls during that trip could be monitored, with all the metadata instantly relayed to databases worldwide—not just to friends, but quite possibly to the NSA.(1)

As of 2020, the UK had an estimated 5.2 million CCTV cameras(2) – that’s 1 camera for every 13 people.

The expanding array of techniques underscores the pervasive nature of data collection across different geographic areas. The following are but a few examples:

London’s Facial Surveillance Network: One of the world’s largest real-time facial recognition deployments, raises concerns about privacy and civil liberties.
China’s Social Credit System: A comprehensive system that monitors and scores citizens based on behaviour, utilising facial recognition and online monitoring.
United States Predictive Policing: Algorithms are used to forecast crime hotspots, but attract criticism for exacerbating biases and targeting marginalised communities.
Singapore & South Korea Smart City Initiatives: Utilisation of sensors and data analytics for urban management are sparking debate about government surveillance.
India’s Biometric Identification: ‘Aadhaar’ system collects biometric data for government services, but many have highlighted concerns about data security and privacy breaches.
Russia’s Mass Surveillance: Widespread monitoring of internet communications and electronic surveillance, often targeting dissenters and political opposition.
The Internet: bad-actors indiscriminately scraping the entire internet for available information.

These methods and technologies, often implemented without transparency, raise serious concerns not just about the indiscriminate gathering of personal data and biometric information but also its potential misuse. Will that data be used to determine if you are populating conspiracies, are a political activist, or to determine more serious life threatening, perhaps criminal activities?

Who could forget the Edward Snowden ‘dick pic’ warning. “The NSA has the greatest surveillance capabilities that we’ve ever seen in history,” Snowden said, “What they will argue is that they don’t use this for nefarious purposes against American citizens,” alluding to the fact that the NSA collection includes every ‘dick pic’ you take. But the truth is, coercion is a known tactic for getting people to do things on the basis that certain information is held about them.

As surveillance techniques have proliferated, distinct impacts have already emerged, disproportionately affecting communities based on skin colour, socioeconomic status and location. The implications extend beyond individual privacy concerns, highlighting broader issues of citizenship, human rights and ethical considerations.

Furthermore, the naivety about the use and implications of data collection persists on a mammoth scale, with many people unaware of the extent to which their information is being stored and utilised. In this landscape, certain technologies already offer no recourse for individuals seeking to reclaim their privacy or exercise a right to be forgotten, wherever applicable. The very notion of a ‘right to be forgotten’ is challenged by such technologies that perpetuate indefinite, immutable storage.

As we look ahead, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) exacerbates concerns about data collection and surveillance, amplifying the ability to process, monitor and detect. Or as a Slate headline states: “The Internet Enabled Mass Surveillance. A.I. Will Enable Mass Spying.

Mitigating the consequences of a world where privacy is increasingly scarce requires collective action and robust regulatory frameworks. Or is the erosion of privacy so entrenched and normalised in our ‘watched-nations’ that there is little hope of reversal?

The challenges are daunting as lost privacy is not easily recoverable. And we still need to grapple with potential benefits of losing privacy, for example, in shared health data. As we educate new generations of digital natives, it becomes even more imperative to instil an understanding that privacy is not a given, but a fundamental right worth protecting.

This paradox of being seen, heard, acknowledged and targeted challenges us to confront the true toll of laissez-faire data relinquishment on our freedoms and societal values. Confronting the erosion of our privacy is perhaps more important than ever – before it becomes irreversible. Time to standing up for privacy, not as a luxury, but as a fundamental pillar of democracy and human dignity.

(1) The Erosion Of Privacy As We Know It

(2) Number of CCTV Cameras in UK reaches 5.2 Million

ORGANISATIONS TO FOLLOW

Electronic Frontier Foundation

STOP- Surveillance Technology Oversight Project

REFERENCES CONSULTED AND USEFUL SOURCES:

NED – Global Struggle Over AI Surveillance Report

Forbes: New Eyes of Surveillance

Carnegie: AI Surveillance Report

Brookings: Surveillance Report 2022

Deloitte: Surveillance and Predictive Policing Through AI

Slate: AI Mass Spying