Category Archives: Lobbying

“Surveillance Capitalism” data hijacked by Silicon Valley Tracking You for Profit and Control

In the public interest.

Professor Shoshana Zuboff speaks about Silicon Valley shadow operation. We won’t get the data. Hi-Tech claim data they take from our lives without our permission, private lives without permission, analyse data, took it, illegitimate profit. Bypassing our awareness. Without consent.

I, Susan Carew, do not consent to any extraction of my data or the residual data in order for companies/government/intelligence to predict my behaviour with the objective of selling to me, controlling me or suppressing my democratic rights. I will not use a iPhone ever as it takes away my rights, distracts me from my life and purpose, and exposes me to radiation which likely causes cancer and health damage. I do not consent to other radiation emitters around me as it impacts my health and safety. Moreover, the rampant consumption is the outcome of data usage mapping our lives and is the very core issue of ecological collapse. I cannot participate in the destruction of my planet or imprisonment of human society as a global citizen. Today is my birthday and it is the gift I give to myself.

Surveillance capitalism is embedded in infrastructure projects to control the population. We are addicted to our iPhones and this is the foundation for a system of control that will not serve people but public/private partnerships to further industry. The previous blog explains the serious health effects of using iPhones emitting radiation.

Whenever you bring up ‘surveillance of phones’ in a conversation often the counter argument will quickly state: “I have nothing to hide” which is a misconception and a form of denial where the person doesn’t want to go there as they depend on their phone. They don’t question their learned dependency.

I was at the railway station today. It is a recent infrastructure project where the station was raised above a road and enlarged with surveillance equipment evident. I saw at least 15 cameras and then the LED lights which can also surveil. I saw the free public phone (recently made free). I found myself standing out of the view of cameras as I didn’t want facial recognition given my privacy. I have had surveillance happen to me when I went to a Senate inquiry in Canberra called the Inquiry into the impact of the exercise of law enforcement and intelligence powers on the freedom of the press. The hearing I went to was intelligence agencies talking about this topic. In addition, a few months earlier walked to Parliament to make homelessness visible. I am also a former community radio person, analyst and advocate for peace education. When I walked through a public square a light came on brightly in a public space as I walked through the space. I was the only person there. I saw police insignia on the camera. I knew it was facial recognition and I was uncomfortable as I feel my democratic right to participate is being targeted. My mother was stopped by the police a short time after, in the car I had driven to the inquiry. So the technology in my view can adversely impact those of us advocating for democracy and a better world.

Shoshana Zuboff indicates we willingly give our personal information believing that information is under our control, which we do not. We provide this personal information is the least important part of the information they collect about us according to Shoshana Zuboff.

Placing our heads in the sand is not an option if you want democratic freedom. If you wish to be a cyborg then just keep burying your head in your iPhone to avoid the reality of your life and courageously facing challenges to awaken and become aware.

key points and notes:

  • Google earth was a CIA start up;
  • surveillance capitalism is also offline;
  • we don’t know the predictive implications;
  • supermarket chain knew a woman was pregnant before she did;
  • predict personality, sexual orientation, political orientation – range of things we didn’t intend to reveal;
  • residual knowledge upload photos – Facebook photos, predictive signals companies can lift from photos;
  • algorithms facial recognition software;
  • predicting human behaviour and predictions are sold;
  • data sold to anyone, could be used for oppression;
  • facial photos facilitate totalitarian regimes;
  • processes disguised and operate in stealth;
  • engineered to be indecipherable to create ignorance in vast group of users;
  • Facebook massive scale contagion experiments, subliminal cues planted in Facebook pages influence offline real world;
  • two key findings manipulate subliminal cues to change real world behaviour and emotion, we can exercise this power and methods whilst BYPASSING USER AWARENESS;
  • Pokemon,go https://www.pokemongo.com/en-au/ – invented by Google. Google the inventor of surveillance capitalism – John Henke;
  • Invented keyhole which is a CIA Google Earth start up. Pokémon is not a happy game, they brought it to market, the big game on top of little game precisely emulates logic of surveillance capitalism. Sell click through rate pays for clicks on website, click to buy button. Paid for real world equivalent (footfall) to get real bodies into businesses. Buy lure modules;
  • Use rewards and punishment of game to herd you to the city for those paying for your body to turn up, the real game is to get you to spend, we predict where you will be, it is of value when it works;
  • You believe you are being served, you will not notice or complain. The shadow operation will remain hidden, you will not ask questions;
  • Want to know about your walk in the park, what you are doing in car, your home etc;
  • Net security system has a microphone built into it, voices, conversations, watching t.v., who is visiting, shouting over breakfast – predictive value;
  • Google’s business to misdirect to engineer ignorance in mechanism undetectable, if confronted deny until habituate;
  • Don’t have to think;
  • We give consent, privacy, your device held hostage to you agreeing, we maintain functionality, third parties will do what they do;
  • Third parties have no responsibility;
  • Silicon valley surveillance capitalism broke through in 2002;
  • More money came from surveillance capital;
  • Google acquired android, made great margin, rich. Make iPhone cheap, get price down, more on the iPhone more, facebook used network drones (growing markets);
  • Facebook’s intention doesn’t share information on how company works. Facebook Australia told its business customers that it has so much data about 6.6 million young adults and teenagers, predict mood shifts, stressed, fatigue, frightened. We can alert you when they need a CONFIDENCE BOOST, the exact moment when they are likely to need this. Send advert for a sexy black jacket (going on a date). Peak vulnerability.
  • 2018 – Chris Whiley – Cambridge Analytica – analysed 18 million citizens. They wanted to understand their inner demons, how to target their demons, fear, anger, paranoia, trigger emotions manipulate them to click on website, join group, what to read, who to hang out with, who to vote for. Manipulate innocent young people. From commercial to political outcomes. Cambridge Analytica is a parasite on a huge host surveillance capitalism;
  • Mark Zuckerberg announces future of privacy, fear of litigation, not genuine;
  • When on facebook there is no right to privacy, no expectation of privacy they think;
  • VPN – send data via private networks;
  • Amish example of simplicity. Technology we use, not to control us.
  • Faustian bargain, choice, privacy, going analogue;
  • Resist surveillance capitalism market to preserve your democratic future.

When Questions Are Not Answered at Senate Hearings

Should the witness be allowed to not answer general questions. It is interesting to allow the witness to decline.

We in the public would want him to answer as nuclear disarmament is in all our interests. We would like to know why it is not happening and given the high expensive and fallout of nuclear weapons, we need to be informed given the public pays their wages. I would question those who uphold secrecy and is this in the public interest?

The vested interests in nuclear as a power chip is what holds this dangerous atomic technology in place which has the potential to destroy the earth 4 times over. The negotiations behind closed doors are in the public interest. I recall when the Pakistani’s and Indian’s obtained nuclear weapons when they were the poorest countries spending billions on nuclear programs in an unstable region. The Indian’s indicated that nuclear is a power chip which gives them access to global power and this chip becomes a barrier to disarmament which is in the global public’s interest.

What is democracy? Is it not about representing the people by the people. Yet we are kept out of tent (so to speak) as perhaps our job is to fund government but not participate. So information appears to me to be managed.

Senator Ludlam is indeed asking in the public interest.

As we focus on nuclear and fear in deterrence we move the world closer to manifesting a destiny not in anyone’s interests. It is true the reality of nuclear calls forth the need for nuclear weapons.

We have to learn to focus on what we want and start Department’s of Peace/Conflict Resolution/Mediation for example to ensure we put all our energy into what we have in common, what we can learn from each other, cross cultural exchange and the future of children. We can’t seem to see beyond the technology, hardware and strategic positioning rather than families, quality of life, equality, parity, standard’s of living, ecological balance and optimising human potential. These thoughts are not considered as people are trained and following the lead of others and this is the way we do things. Yet we must learn to think anew as our world cannot continue down these negative, hostile trajectories that produce a zero sum game, ultimately.

Lobby Groups Subvert Democracy ‘We the People’

In the public interest.

I just found this article. This is the core problem of why we are losing our democracy. Some get more democracy then others, and those who do are strategic, professional and well funded.

In the list below I don’t see public groups, no lobbying for the homeless or other special needs. What we see is professional business and religious lobbyists. Perhaps that explains why we have religion creeping into our secular parliament. I am very concerned at the bias, the discrimination and the

Lobbying should be banned. I have no issue with constituents visiting politicians but organised groups can communicate through Royal Commissions or Senate hearings by topic or perhaps conferences. Personal relationships must not happen as it compromises the politicians position. They too have to be selected carefully so that they truly represent the public. There should courses that they take on democracy, the role of representation and let’s drop the word ‘politician’ and replace it with ‘public servant’. That is what they are paid to be.

Do I have a right to say what I think? Of course they work for me as a citizen. It matters not rich or poor, educated or uneducated every citizen in Australia is who the government work for under the Constitution. They are not to remove the Australian Constitution and it must be endorsed by the Australian people ‘We the People’. That hasn’t happened at Federation. That is a problem for us.

So to the Lobbyist. I note a few are in Parliament today doing their industry’s bidding. Another subversion of democracy.

This is why there is a drive to remove democracy, so it is rule by corporatocracy in a specialised technocracy. Incredible!

Do note the corporatocracy is mostly foreign influence as much has been sold off…. I should lobby for Australian Public Democracy on behalf of the Australian people, I wonder how that would go down? Would they let me in…? Probably not as I would have to probably buy them. I wonder if I can get a discount, I have a concession now? I only have $20 but I am honest! Perhaps we can flip for influence… getting desperate … heads I can have a meeting, tails I buy you a coffee win/win?? (having a laugh here ha ha)

https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Lobby_groups/Australia

Lobby groups/Australia

The lobbying industry is a significant force in Australian politics.

In 2006 according to Julian Fitzgerald Lobbying in Australia the 150 national lobby groups analysed had a total budget of $713,793,364, an average of $6.26 million for the 114 that made the figures available to the public. The statistics reveal that in Australia, lobbying is an industry that is growing at three times the rate of inflation and is spending well over $1 billion per year, the 150 lobby groups employ more than 260 public relations officers, and have a staff of 2,431.Lobbying in Australia: You Can’t Expect Anything to Change if You Don’t Speak Up! Rosenberg Publishing 2006

Most of the principle staff in Australia’s professional lobby firms have previously worked for federal or state politicians. Some are former politicians themselves. And, as the case of one Hawker Britton consultant who has just been appointed to Hurstville council demonstrates, some may still be at it.

The fact that a consultant has just walked out of a politician’s revolving door is often used by lobby firms as a selling point to their clients, as it is seen as a good way of ensuring access to and ‘relationships’ with the decision-makers they are paid to influence.

If that doesn’t work there are other ways of making friends – advocacy and lobby groups made a total of $412,730 in donations to federal political parties in the 2003/4 financial year, and donated another $477,898 in NSW. [1]

The line between an industry peak body and an industry lobby group can be hard to distinguish, and it’s also hard to tell the difference between a Public relations firm and a lobby group. Many of the PR firms listed on Public relations firms/Australia practice ‘government relations’, ‘issues management’, and various other euphemisms for the business of influence-peddling.

This page lists a few of the Australian groups that focus more on lobbying than PR.

Contents

Professional lobbyists

Industry lobby groups

Other lobby groups

Front groups

Others

Other Sourcewatch Resources

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