So, is big brother watching us?
In George Orwell’s novel, the government controls completely information, even changing systematically historical archives to fit some new official viewpoint.
Web-based applications certainly make much more private and personal data available to many more people than ever before.
Some literacy is needed to know what information to post and what not, in which conditions.
There are quite a few scary things happening out there on the internet – emails and Facebook pages get hacked, confidential information can be used against us. Our communications are certainly filtered for terrorist clues. If we are not careful, our computer might even become a participant to the zombie networks of organized crime.
Still, despotic governments again and again don’t manage to control internet. Their only solution is often to shut it down completely. Because it is widespread, shapeless, unstable, ultra-redundant, long distance communication cannot be stopped any more. And with collaborative tools, instant demonstrations can be effectively coordinated by loose leadership, through virtual social networks, using mobile networks or internet.
If a government shuts down internet, its people will never be able to get on board the Fourth Revolution and the dramatic change of value produced in the world. It condemns the country to slip economically behind. This is not sustainable and one day or the other, it will collapse.
Every day, long distance interactive communication shows its anti-despotic powers.
Could somebody take control at the world level? If Google turned evil, could that happen? I don’t believe so, because if would be easy to rebuild something similar on the side and start again. The disruption would be there but it could be overcome.
So, yes, each of us gives a lot of personal information to the world. Still, because of our new, incredible global interconnection, and an entirely decentralized infrastructure, the risk of a global evil takeover of our communications and our lives appears more and more remote. Rather, modern communication technologies develop the practice of democracy at an astounding rate.
