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Eric NgMr. DouglasEnglish 104-09September 7, 2014Essay 1: Instructor Draft Critical Response to Lori Andrews’ “George Orwell…Meet Mark Zuckerberg”In the article, “George Orwell…Meet Mark Zuckerberg,” Lori Andrews indicates that American society is becoming shockingly similar to the society envisioned in George Orwell’s novel 1984, a dystopian society ruled by totalitarian leader “Big Brother” is able to control the populace with strict surveillance through uses of advanced surveillance technologies known as “Telescreens”. Andrews takes references from Orwell’s novel 1984 and compares it to modern-day communication within her article. As a Distinguished Professor of Law and Director of the Institute for Science, Law and Technology, Andrews voices her thoughts of social networks and smartphone as the main contributing factors of invasion of privacy as these pieces of technology funnels over our personal information to “data aggregators,” massive companies which track every aspect of our digital lives. She expresses her opinions of ways the secret data collection may pose as hazards to our rights and data harvested can be manipulated into potential tools for discrimination and future inconveniences. As the similarities between our society and that envisioned by Orwell become more apparent, Andrews believes that our society is in danger of becoming the envisioned dystopian society resulted by the dangerous combination of technology and totalitarian control.Andrews properly presents the idea that problems of secret surveillance, invasion of privacy and data manipulation exist both within reality and within George Orwell’s novel 1984, factors for which became the catalyst of the dystopian society portrayed in 1984. As the similarities between Ameican society and that of fiction become more apparent, Andrews assumes having these factors present will cause our society to result in the same dystopian fate in Orwell’s portrayal.Social Networking and smartphones are contributing to the dystopia, a dystopia which Orwell portrays as society faced with issues of invasion of privacy and surveillance. I believe social Networking and smartphone are contributing to invasion of privacy since these services grab user data without user knowledge. Andrews supports my claim and asserts that such services pull and export private data without user permissions. The author argues that these functions will ultimately be used as tools of surveillance and are contributing factors in violating American privacy rights. In “George Orwell…Meet Mark Zuckerburg” by Lori Andrews, the author asserts that “facebook uses its [user’s] demographic information, interests, likes, friends, websites frequented, and even contact information as the foundation of its adverting platform.” (Andrews 710) The author explains that Facebook, a social network, exports citizen’s private data without the citizen’s permission and funnels it into a data regulator, and generates Ad revenue. She also quotes, “Increasing ingenious and troubling technologies are used to [about the user by…] activate [the user’s] phone’s microphone and camera to collect background [data to figure out the user’s] location (...)”, and addresses the issue that phones can be used as surveillance devices as technologies on these devices can exploit phone functions. (Andrews 714) The author explains how a smartphone could be used surveillance device since technologies on these devices such as apps can exploit phone functions. I can confirm the author’s claims as the described phone functions are present in in our current generation of smart phones and the phone do indeed possess surveillance capabilities. Though I agree that these services violate many of our right, but I also believe it is sometimes acceptable or necessary in bettering you user experience. Andrews would agree that services may use phone functions without user’s permission is only acceptable if it were to better the user. The author provides an example of such utility such as Shopkick, a phone application that “assesses if the store you’ve entered has a bargain for you.” (Andrews 714) All in all, invasion of privacy can be completely avoided by simply opting out of these services since you don’t use their services; they have no means of obtaining your private data.Our society closely resembles an Orwellian Society, the term Orwellian describes a social condition that George Orwell identifies as a quality destructive to the welfare of society. Orwellian originates from the scenario found in the novel 1984, where George Orwell envisions as dystopian society were “Big Brother,” a totalitarian leader control every aspect of his citizen’s life. Control that is achieved with surveillance technology called “telescreens,” two-way monitors that report every action and conversation directly to the authorities. I believe that with society’s current state of technology, the idea of telescreens is not farfetched from reality and it is very likely we might as well transition into the Orwellian Society. Andrews supports my claim throughout her article that an Orwellian society is closer to reality as she explains that data aggregators use surveillances technology in ways similar to the telescreens. The fact that data is funneled from social networks and smartphones to data aggregators to track every aspect of our daily lives, these technologies act upon the same basic principle of the telescreens. I would agree on author’s implications of society turning Orwellian, with an example being Google, a service with a capability of posing a bigger threat compared to telescreens. In my perspective Google possesses a bigger threat than the telescreens since Google holds the largest market share in technology as their services extend in cars, phones, TV, house appliances, satellites, and servers. The idea of Google becoming the next “telescreen” is very possible. Though Google currently shows no intentions in controlling people lives and instead provide applications convenient for its users, Americans still need to be mindful that the idea of telescreen isn’t as farfetched from reality. Nethertheless I affirm my acquisitions that society’s current generation of technology contains the potential of becoming the next “telescreen”. Andrews provides clear evidence that cellphone possess the same caliber of functionality of a surveillance device and within my perspective society already possesses the factors of becoming Orwellian even when the risks lay dormant. In short I believe that Orwellian conditions are present in our society and American’s state of peace is provisional.Even though data collection poses as a hazard in changing our society into an Orwell’s dystopia, where data collecting is used as a weapon to inconvenience the surveyed individual and assert troublesome control, it can also bring upon benefits to society. Within my perspective, data collection holds the potential to catch potential criminals through deep packet inspection. The author defines deep packet inspection as “a mechanism to intercept and copy all the online transmissions of the ISPs’ subscriber,” a tool in which records search criteria. She emphasizes that data collected from deep packet transmissions can create “In essence, a second self –a virtual interpretation of you…” (Andrews 710) Personally, I see that law enforcement may take advantage of the inspection of search habits to potentially catch exposed criminals before they commit a crime through analysis of online criminal related activity. For example, if a potential criminal had suspicious online movements, the authorities can get a tip to that criminal through analysis of crime based search criteria, and arrest them before they can attempt to commit a crime. If society were to implement a system that catches individuals with criminal intent, that systems would push society closer to a utopia since this system would take malicious individuals out of society. Also with the establishment of deep packet inspection, criminals would be discouraged from committing treason, as their movements would be carefully monitored through activity related to technology such as phone activity. For example most mafias use technology to communicate in order to coordinate a crime, if the authorities intercept criminal communication they would be well informed before the crime unravels. Personally I find that data collection may come with a few complications but overall data collection will benefit the vast majority. Andrew emphases that the system is not perfect as a false a virtual interpretation of you may fall in the hands of the authorities can result in misunderstandings and inconveniences as she asserts that, “key decisions about you are based on that distorted image of you.” (Andrews 710-11) For example, if you had a search habit of a criminal, the authorities can judge you as a criminal through your crime based search criteria. While you may be an ideal citizen just trying to study criminal offenses out of curiosity, that curiosity could brand and punish you as a criminal. Though the system maybe an inconvenience, the problem only affects a small majority and if you were an idea citizen this misunderstanding would be unlikely. In short, such system should not significantly impact normal citizens since criminals will only be affected. Data collection is indeed troublesome but its many benefits toward society are worth its tradeoffs.All in all, I believe that the problem of society becoming the dystopian society envisioned by George Orwell can be contained with strict regulation of the uses of personal data. I also believe that the government should ban the practices of data aggregation since it in theory, violates the 4th amendment of the constitution with “unreasonable searches and seizures [without a warrant]”. (Jefferson 628) Today Orwell’s warnings about the dangerous combination of technology and totalitarian control may seem more relevant than ever. Even though our society closely resembles that of 1984, I believe that American society can maintain its state of normality through strict modernization of the influence of technology in society. Works CitedColombo, Gary, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. "George Orwell…Meet Mark Zuckerberg." Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. 9th ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 1992. N. pag. Print.Colombo, Gary, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. "The Declaration of Independence; The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States; The Bill Of Rights." Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing. 9th ed. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's, 1992. N. pag. Print. ................
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