Huge data leak shatters the lie that the innocent need not fear surveillance
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Re: Huge data leak shatters the lie that the innocent need not fear surveillance
#2Previous article listing few more details
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/18/revealed-leak-...
Re: Huge data leak shatters the lie that the innocent need not fear surveillance
#3I don't think the problem is with the "lie" that the innocent need not fear surveillance. Most people will agree that mass-surveillance will negatively affect some people that are indispensable to healthily functioning liberal society: journalists, activists, academics, public figures...
The problem is that even if most people don't subscribe to the "nothing to hide" argument in general, they do not care about themselves being the target of surveillance.
Having unsuccessfully tried to make family and acquaintances more aware of privacy issue, I can confidently say that the "nothing to hide" argument is nothing next to the "I don't care" attitude. It's not just being the target of a wrongful accusation, arguments about unintended public shaming, identity theft, negative economic consequences (higher insurance premium or mortgage rates if your bank has more information about you), none of it will work.
I think there is some sort of a Tverskyan study to be done here about expected value and perceived risk. Overall for most people the equation is always: (probability of data being mishandled) * damage < time and effort required to maintain my privacy.
Re: Huge data leak shatters the lie that the innocent need not fear surveillance
#4I don't think the problem is with the "lie" that the innocent need not fear surveillance. Most people will agree that mass-surveillance will negatively affect some people that are indispensable to healthily functioning liberal society: journalists, activists, academics, public figures... The problem is that even if most people don't subscribe to the "nothing to hide" argument in general, they do not care about themse…
Because the 'time and effort required to maintain my privacy' part requires immediate and sustained and rigorous action and sacrifice of various comforts, all for a nebulously perceived, personally theoretical risk.
The ultimate trajectory of liberal democracy is towards anarchism. But humans are anything but evolutionarily suited for that. We are biologically built to function in a hierarchy, even if the top of that hierarchy is tyrannical. This will take a long while to change. And enough efforts to educate are not being made. Not even close.
PS. Also wanted to add that the "maintain my privacy" part is still far too technical for anyone except diehard nerds, and even they confess it takes great effort and thought. The entire system has been taken over at all levels of the stack by commercial and political powers. The average Joe doesn't stand a chance unless he wants to go entirely off-grid.
Re: Huge data leak shatters the lie that the innocent need not fear surveillance
#5I don't think the problem is with the "lie" that the innocent need not fear surveillance. Most people will agree that mass-surveillance will negatively affect some people that are indispensable to healthily functioning liberal society: journalists, activists, academics, public figures... The problem is that even if most people don't subscribe to the "nothing to hide" argument in general, they do not care about themse…
I have similar experience. Many people choose not to care (or they are not aware of the consequences).
If someone is aware and choose something, it's absolutely fine. The problem is the hidden agendas in all shapes and forms.
Didn't know about 'Tverskyan study', thanks for referring
Re: Huge data leak shatters the lie that the innocent need not fear surveillance
#6I don't think the problem is with the "lie" that the innocent need not fear surveillance. Most people will agree that mass-surveillance will negatively affect some people that are indispensable to healthily functioning liberal society: journalists, activists, academics, public figures... The problem is that even if most people don't subscribe to the "nothing to hide" argument in general, they do not care about themse…
Because the 'time and effort required to maintain my privacy' part requires immediate and sustained and rigorous action and sacrifice of various comforts, all for a nebulously perceived, personally theoretical risk. The ultimate trajectory of liberal democracy is towards anarchism. But humans are anything but evolutionarily suited for that. We are biologically built to function in a hierarchy, even if the top of that…
Nah, we are biologically built to function in bands of no more than 300 people. Hierarchies are just the basic level of abstraction allowing bands to collectively form tribes, nations, and empires.
Re: Huge data leak shatters the lie that the innocent need not fear surveillance
#7Previous article listing few more details https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/18/revealed-leak-...
They also have an upcoming talk on the topic.
Re: Huge data leak shatters the lie that the innocent need not fear surveillance
#8I don't think the problem is with the "lie" that the innocent need not fear surveillance. Most people will agree that mass-surveillance will negatively affect some people that are indispensable to healthily functioning liberal society: journalists, activists, academics, public figures... The problem is that even if most people don't subscribe to the "nothing to hide" argument in general, they do not care about themse…
I think there are a couple of levels to this. I try to avoid adtech-driven stuff because I prefer other kinds of products which come out of different business incentives. On a practical level, that's what drives my online privacy habits.
On a more sinister level, even though a malicious state seems very distant (Nordics here), given how many such there are in the world, it is definitely not impossible. We must avoid being frog-boiled to accept surveillance. Even if I don't have anything to hide, we must present "herd anonymity" to shield those who really need it when shit hits the fan. This is the much more abstract part of my privacy philosophy.
Re: Huge data leak shatters the lie that the innocent need not fear surveillance
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
Because the 'time and effort required to maintain my privacy' part requires immediate and sustained and rigorous action and sacrifice of various comforts, all for a nebulously perceived, personally theoretical risk. The ultimate trajectory of liberal democracy is towards anarchism. But humans are anything but evolutionarily suited for that. We are biologically built to function in a hierarchy, even if the top of that…
Nah, we are biologically built to function in bands of no more than 300 people. Hierarchies are just the basic level of abstraction allowing bands to collectively form tribes, nations, and empires.
You are saying it as if "in bands of no more than 300 people" there was no hierarchy. It starts appearing at few dozens, let alone few hundreds.
Proof of it being biological? Look at other primates. They form groups of way less than few hundreds and still maintain (strict) hierarchy.
Re: Huge data leak shatters the lie that the innocent need not fear surveillance
#10Fun fact: London has ~700k cameras and is top 3 in the world by cameras per capita, top 20 being almost exclusively Chinese cities
https://www.comparitech.com/vpn-privacy/the-worlds-most-surv...