Category Archives: National interest

“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.