BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU

Most citizens believe that surveillance and tracking systems will keep them safe; that they'll provide protection and that countless numbers of crimes will be solved because of them. Although this is true to some extent, surveillance on such a wide scale is now invading privacy and eliminating obscurity in everyday life.

Just like "Nineteen Eighty-Four", our lives are being watched by numerous agencies and government wings, not to mention the ever expanding number of privately owned surveillance systems and modes of tracking civilians. According to the February 28th Vancouver Sun article, "Surveillance Society" by Don Butler, in Britain alone there is an "estimated 4.2 million CCTV cameras - one for every 14 citizens." This is analogous to the telescreens found in every home and room in "Nineteen Eighty-Four". The majority of today's population is still unaware they are being watched to such a degree and therefore don't object. Even when one thinks they're safe, say sitting in a coffee shop, it is extremely probable that cameras are in fact "concealed in the coffee shop ceiling" staring; unblinkingly recording hours upon hours of video. Winston and Julia face a similar situation when they believe they are safe above the antique shop yet they are actually under the watchful eye of Big Brother. As well, such mechanisms as GM's On Star are sited as being 2-way systems and could provide companies with eavesdropping capabilities in much the same fashion as 1984's Ministry of Love. Furthermore, Butler notes the ability of governments to access all public data either through remote searches of computers or via 'echelon systems' which "[intercept] and [analyse] millions of emails, phone calls, faxes and telexes" in real time. Body imaging and brain surveillance is now being tested and used for convictions of criminals, just as the thought police convicts over the slightest abnormality in thought or appearance.

The means by which we can be tracked are boundless and video surveillance merely scratches the surface. RFIDS, loyalty cards, ISPs, licence-plate recognition systems, event data recorders, echelon systems, body imagers and brain sureveillance systems are all producing and recording terabytes of information about every movement and action we take. Over many years, surveillance over our society has developed significantly and is quite near the convergance point with that of "Nineteen Eighty-Four".

You may also want to adjust your Facebook and Myspace security settings; otherwise you're just giving away your life story and ultimately even your identity.