Since Edward Snowden’s revelations about mass surveillance, the topic has lost significance. But our surveillance architecture has only grown more steadily.
We have become accustomed to being recorded through data-gathering because the digital power structure in which surveillance operates has become necessary for our survival. Living off the grid is no longer possible, unless one desires a life of seclusion that comes at the cost of connection or influence. In this sense, our society appears to have reached a state of indifference by not caring about surveillance at all. But it is merely a faux indifference. Even here, we see a quiet rebellion growing beneath the surface: self-destructive timers on our chats and anonymous online profiles are becoming the new norm. “Give a man a mask, and he will tell you the truth,” Oscar Wilde once said.
Read Full Article »