This sums up so many things well and clearly. It's so quotable.
- The money trail: "Their true customers—their advertisers—will demand it."
- The current state of affairs: "Surveillance has become the business model of the internet..."
- The fact that not participating, or opting-out, still yields informational value, if not even more so: "Find me all the pairs of phones that were moving toward each other, turned themselves off..."
This isn't a technological problem. Technology always precedes the morals and piggybacks on the fuzzy ideas that haven't yet developed into concrete, well-taught axioms. It is a problem about how our society approaches ideals. Ideals, not ideas. What do we value? What do we love?
If we love perceived security more than responsibility, we will give up freedoms. And gladly. If we love ourselves more than future generations, we will make short-sighted decisions and pat ourselves on the back for our efficiency in rewarding ourselves. If we love ourselves more than others, we won't even care much about social concerns. We'll fail to notice anything that doesn't move the needle against my comfort much.
It's more understandable to me than ever how recent human horrors - genocides, repressive regimes, all of it - came about to be. It's because I'm a very selfish person and I am surrounded by selfish people. Mass spying is a symptom - not much of a cause - of the human condition.
- The money trail: "Their true customers—their advertisers—will demand it."
- The current state of affairs: "Surveillance has become the business model of the internet..."
- The fact that not participating, or opting-out, still yields informational value, if not even more so: "Find me all the pairs of phones that were moving toward each other, turned themselves off..."
This isn't a technological problem. Technology always precedes the morals and piggybacks on the fuzzy ideas that haven't yet developed into concrete, well-taught axioms. It is a problem about how our society approaches ideals. Ideals, not ideas. What do we value? What do we love?
If we love perceived security more than responsibility, we will give up freedoms. And gladly. If we love ourselves more than future generations, we will make short-sighted decisions and pat ourselves on the back for our efficiency in rewarding ourselves. If we love ourselves more than others, we won't even care much about social concerns. We'll fail to notice anything that doesn't move the needle against my comfort much.
It's more understandable to me than ever how recent human horrors - genocides, repressive regimes, all of it - came about to be. It's because I'm a very selfish person and I am surrounded by selfish people. Mass spying is a symptom - not much of a cause - of the human condition.