Death by big data
The digital revolution arrived in the 21st century with a tremendous force, killing mechanical and analog machinery in just two decades. Now, data-driven tech continues to grow towards an alarmingly insidious direction: selling big data.
George Orwell is rolling in his grave. What once was a dystopian future imagined by the 20th century novelist is now an eerie roadmap to where human society is heading. A part of me holds on to the alternate universe where the futurists who thought up “The Jetsons” would prevail in predicting human behavior and technological trends. With the advent of the internet, all the amazing things that could have been brought on by online connectivity have now been overcast by the looming threat of a widely restrictive world order.
Big data turning into a buzzword for government and prophecy) of the 21st century. From being viewed as the best invention of modern technology to being feared as the greatest threat of modern democracy, big data’s role as an information hub has slowly evolved into something more sinister—a propaganda machine.
There is much research that touches upon the problematic use of big data but at its base, it is simply the interconnected relationships between masses of disjointed information transmitting at lightning speed across our devices. Disjointed information that includes our names, faces, private details, tracking cookies, and anything we share or post. In short, our entire lives. All of our personal companies to target advertising to—or worse, for our governments to monitor and control our behavior, speech, and relationships. big data is Big Brother. And soon, we might very well not be allowed to doublethink.
For the subversive doublethinkers here at Scout, here is a list of resources for you to retain your privacy and online freedom if and when Big Brother’s omnipotent eye becomes a reality sooner than later. VPN Let’s start with the basics. A virtual private network ( VPN) is probably already something most people have as early as now. An IP scrambler can help you protect your location and device from hacking or tracing, especially if you need to make any discreet purchases or online interactions. App permission tracker Various productivity apps, social media apps, and even period- tracking apps have all been proven as data sellers. To counter this, there is downloads found in a device. Permissions that go beyond the usual that is. The reason why people are never really sure how targeted ads make it to their feeds is that terms and conditions are made to bury details of tracking, collating and repurposing your data. Make sure to monitor your app permission tracker and you will never be misled by Encrypted messaging In our imagined dystopian reality, unmonitored communication is nearly impossible. Getting on an encrypted messaging platform option is to use normal messaging platforms with specially encrypted your VPN- equipped device. Deep web forums Not a fail- safe place, but they can serve their purpose of being a discreet platform to conduct transactions. In a dystopian world order, contraband will start to include anything that can incite free speech to penetrate the deep web, using these forums can buy you and your wipe of your online footprint. You will only be audited once a dedicated search is set aside to trace your internet activity. Mask Since online anonymity is being challenged, a physical mask can bring used against you. The danger online is only real once it manifests unconstitutional consequences.