6 minute read
Mass data collection
AVINASH PANDIT
copy editor
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Efforts to use surveillance to control media and other forms of communication are well documented over history.
Sun Tzu, an influential ancient Chinese war theorist, still attracts a large audience in the 21st century for his book Art of War. He mentions the need to know your enemy but stresses the need to understand yourself.
Said Keith Laidler, a Ph.D. in anthropology, “The rise of city-states and empires … meant that each needed to know not only the disposition and morale of their enemy but also the loyalty and general sentiment of their own population.” Mass spying and surveillance are implemented to understand its population further and crush political dissent.
In modern history, many federal governments, governmental organizations and corporations have been involved with mass surveillance.
Before the Digital Revolution, East Germany formed an entire secret police organization called the “Stasi.” The Stasi was made up of around 300,000 civilian informants who monitored the rest of the population, looking for even the most minute difference in opinion. Eventually, most East Germans realized they were being spied on, which led to a toxic culture of mistrust. Citizens rarely talked about sensitive issues outside of private areas.
After 9/11, the US government employed different programs that collected domestic phone data: who the caller is, who the recipient is, and the length of the call. Although targeted at preventing terrorism, these programs have resulted in countless violations of privacy amongst its citizens. Iran was one of five countries on Reporters without Borders’ list of “State Enemies to the Internet” in 2013. The government controls all of the institutions regarding the regulation and management of communication companies. Former President Ahmadinejad established a Supreme Council for Cyberspace which still determines all digital policy in the country. Iran fully deemployed a parallel internet in 2019 called the National Information Network, which is fully monitored and censored by the government over fears of domestic unrest.
Bahrain was also one of the countries on the Reporters without Borders’ list. The government is involved with mass, intrusive surveillance of news networks, resulting in many human rights violations. Ruled by a royal family, Bahrain’s level of internet filtering and surveillance is one of the highest globally and is only increasing.
Nicknamed “The Surveillance State,” North Korea has had a long history of isolation from other countries. It’s almost routine for their people to be sent to prison camps for simply communicating with the outside world. North Korea has complete control over the entire internet and heavily limits its access
PRESENT DAY
HYUNJUN KIM
sports editor
Today, many countries and companies use mass surveillance systems to protect national security, deter future criminal activities or frauds and enable remote monitoring.
For instance, China utilizes surveillance cameras and monitoring — they plan to have installed nearly a billion cameras by the end of 2021. By observing areas and tracing people, security cameras help ensure public safety and possibly collect data for future investigations. Further, China’s social credit system heavily depends on mass surveillance, tracking and monitoring citizens to assess each individual’s level of patriotism with the social credit score. People receive rewards for high credit scores whereas others with low scores are prone to losing certain abilities, such as booking a flight or train ticket. Although there is no one social credit system, local governments share a collective purpose of using surveillance to manifest their own distinctive record systems and stress the importance of patriotism to citizens.
While heavily relying on video surveillance to fight crime and prevent terrorism, prominent companies are working towards providing a “smart home” environment that allows consumers to have easier access to advanced, wireless devices. Amazon, known mainly for its online consumer marketplace, is notable for purchasing the high-tech mass surveillance tool Ring in 2018, indicating the vital needs of technology for security. Deemed by Amazon as the “America’s police,” Ring security cameras alert users by detecting both movement and presence outside their homes. Along with the advanced feature of having wireless cameras, Ring allows accessibility to data and past recordings to alert residents of potential crimes or thefts, encouraging users to adapt to surveillance tools and connect with law enforcement What about the internet, the source we depend on for information, education, and even entertainment? Web browsers are deeply influenced by surveillance, creating personalized ads for users and accepting cookies—a chunk of autonomous data stored and saved for future users’ sessions. The vast, interconnected networks are managed in numerous ways, ranging from router cables and
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mobile devices to wireless connections and cloud networks. Advanced technologies and innovations complement mass data collections, aiming for preserving a safe protected life for all. But as society grows more dependent on technology and future convenience, will mass surveillance suffice peoples’ need for national security or corrupt individual privacy?
FUTURE OF SURVEILLAINCE...
LAWRENCE FAN
writer
The future of mass surveillance is uncertain. On one hand, innovations that can scale data-collection to an unprecedented scale are in development. On the other hand, political controversies and grassroots backlash will inevitably resist the normalization of Big Brother-eque practices. Despite the uncertainty, the trajectory of recent trends fosters speculation, and there is no shortage of possibilities that lie ahead.
As self-identification technology like Face-ID enter mainstream markets, they’re also showing up on security cameras. In particular, the Chinese Police are being equipped with “smart” face distinguishing glasses while the Singapore government plans to install lamp posts with facial recognition cameras. But facial recognition is just the start; former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has declared this century to be the golden age of biotechnology, and it, along with Artificial Intelligence, can revolutionize the potential of mass surveillance. From tracking body language to detecting distinct heartbeats to incorporating odor biometrics, every aspect of our profile could be tracked in the near future.
Nanotechnology also enables the creation of “smart dust,” or micro-computers smaller than a grain of salts. These devices are so tiny that they can suspend in mid-air like a particle of dust. With the ability to form an extensive network of sensors, cameras, and microphones, smart dust can be easily dispersed in indoor spaces without detection. According to The Aerospace Corporation, the world is rapidly approaching an event that is described as GEOINT Singularity.
After this point, everything on Earth’s surface can be monitored by artificial intelligence. In essence, everybody will be watched and protected at all times. However, public trust has plummeted since Edward Snowden’s revelations; many citizens are outright opposed to public surveillance. Perhaps most crucial will be the struggle amongst governments and private businesses. With most surveillance in the hands of corporations, their ability in continuing to do so will be challenged by future governmental demands.
The breakthroughs in such a critical field comes with international cybersecurity conflicts. This is already happening, with China using its Firewall to block popular US websites and President Trump banishing Huawei 5g networks. Expect tensions between the United States and China to increase as both superpowers attempt to protect their citizens from foreign influence and gain an advantage in espionage. This newfound national security threat may incentivize citizens to give up their privacy, allowing the state to install domineering surveillance systems in the name of safety
