How much privacy can smartphone owners expect?
The US Supreme Court could soon allow police to monitor the movements of US mobile phone users without a warrant. Now that most of us carry sophisticated tracking devices in our pockets, how much privacy do we have a right to expect?
Millions of us happily invade our own privacy every day on Twitter and Facebook, sharing personal details with the world and broadcasting our location in a way previous generations would have found bizarre.
Even those who shy away from social media and new technology in general are not immune. The most basic mobile phones are in constant contact with the nearest mast, sending information about the whereabouts of their users to phone companies, who can later hand that data over to the police, if requested.
At the other end of the spectrum, in the world of smartphones, privacy is becoming an increasingly outdated concept, argues technology writer Sam Biddle. What might once have been considered "creepy" and invasive is becoming normal.
"That line of creepiness is there, but it's eroding quickly because, frankly, we are just getting used to it," says Mr Biddle, a staff writer for Gizmodo.com.
"Something like (smartphone app) Foursquare, something like Find My Friends, these things all would have sounded like something from 1984. Now they are fun and free.
"So I think whatever line there once was is receding very quickly."
He adds: "The excitement and the novelty of it blinds us to the fact that is a little weird and maybe, in terms of privacy rights, a little ominous."
This was one of the things I was trying to mention in part of my blog post. There is another article I read that was by another publication.
I think that the modern paradigm for privacy has changed. The modern individual has either no interest in their own privacy or has learned to compartmentalize their life. I have a facebook, google+, smartphone existence. If the authorities wanted to track me, it would take a few seconds. However, the contents of my mind and many of my interactions will never be on line. I have the option of leaving my cellphone wherever I want. If I'm using it to get to a legitimate job and need the train schedule easily accessible, I feel I blend into the normal background noise of your average American. If I have other intentions, I won't be bringing my phone.
On a day-to-day basis, I am more concerned with the control of the money system; the fact that either I make money outside of the system, or have it routinely scrutinized and taxed without my consent. I chose to buy into the Google Collective, with the understanding that I forego my off-the-grid status.
Having these discussions on line is evolutionary, not revolutionary. We create dialogue and public pressure to increase scrutinity of governments and corporations. Hopefully, this will snowball over the next 50 years to create a more transparent society. If you want to drive an unregistered car, live at no known address, with no bank account and unregistered weapons, more power to you, I don't have the resources or youthful enthusiasm to do so, but to think that the GPS on your phone is the major invasion of your privacy is naive.
If we as a society were to prioritize the dismantling of the surveillance state, a methodical process for doing so would be necessary. How you ensure the continued fuctionaility of public systems while introducing true oversight is a major challege. Chew on these goals:
- Restructuring the education system
- Putting the food supply back into the hands of people who care about healthy food, rather than profits
- Decentralizing the major media and creating independent outlets for varying points of view
- Blowing the lid open on the Federal Reserve and IRS, who keep the country in deliberate debt
- Opening up the Intelligence community to public oversight
- Removing the military-industrial complex as a significant factor in our economic system and our foreign policy
- Removing corporate interests from our political process
... and the list goes on...
You have some very valid points Peter. Our society has many problems. As an American I've studied other countries and seen what they can do better than we can.
So far every major area the United States lacks in. Social seucirty, medical care, poverty, employment, education, finances, law enforcement, criminal system, etc.,etc. Other countries are easily superior. I'll admit there are higher priority problems.
You also have a point in that we may have to adapt to societ, and that the system used to protect us can not work in the cases of those who can think clearly enough to work around it.
kiakanpa:
Thanks for clarifying that. I may be ahead of myself in assuming that everyone is on the same page. You are correct that your average consumer is probably only - at best - tangentially aware that their iPhone/Android/facebook existence is 1) putting all their contact information in facebook's hands 2) creating a little "bunny trail" of their daily life 3) all email, digital calling, texting is readymade for easy surveillance.
As a side note, promotion of email encryption may be another issue to raise. I have encryption software on my email program, but nobody I know uses it, so it serves no real purpose. Raising awareness on this might fall within the site's scope. Forgive me if it has already been addressed elsewhere. If not, I may post info.
Meanwhile, I did put up a quick post on email encryption .
P
You raise some valid points Peter, but many/most of these are beyond the scope of We Speak for Freedom. This group is set up with the intention of 'rolling back' the surveillance culture.
I am working with another group transitionmovement.com that will be looking at some of these bigger issues.
While what you say above shows that you approach the privacy situation with your eyes wide open there are many in our society who are unaware of the privacy issues around us; one of this sites main aims is to educate these people about the privacy issues which exist so they too can make an informed choice as to whether they are willing to give up their privacy.