Big Brother Is Watching

[Secret Chief]

Didn't he have a bowl strapped to his stomach with a rat inside?

Quite possibly. I'm probably remembering the film.

 

[Nakosis]

So are you, but from what I found, the evidence seems to lean only one way concerning this issue:

Meet the Muslim-American Leaders the FBI and NSA Have Been Spying On

ACLU Seeks Records About FBI Collection Of Racial And Ethnic Data In 29 States And D.C.

Ok, good luck to the ACLU. If they find abuse, hopefully, they let the rest of us know about it.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Quite possibly. I'm probably remembering the film.

I think it was this I was thinking of, but even that is wrong.

The Tell-Tale Heart - Wikipedia

 

[sun rise]

The only problem is how much involvement is too much?

What I've seen happen repeatedly is that the actions of a group, even a small group, inevitably cause a reaction. Sometimes government such as during the McCarthy era takes a lead in rooting out what does not exist. But more often we see reaction by government.

Business of course wants to market to people or sell information about people. Their profits come from doing that so it's in their economic interest to collect information from people.

Drawing lines is hard and to me different for business and government. I like the CA privacy laws because I can and do opt out of some information collection (cookies). So in this case, I applaud the laws which increase my rights.

In the case of government, 911 created new structures increasing surveillance. Voting patterns in 2020 have led to government in red states increasingly demanding more "watching" to try to reverse results in future elections.

When government uses real problems to "watch" more, at least there's a reason even if it's overdone quite a bit. When government uses phony problems to "watch" more, I'm all in against such abuse.

 

[Kooky]

Ok, good luck to the ACLU. If they find abuse, hopefully, they let the rest of us know about it.

Sorry, but I think I've lost track of what you are actually trying to argue here. Can you help me out?

 

[Nakosis]

Sorry, but I think I've lost track of what you are actually trying to argue here. Can you help me out?

The government abuse of its powers given to it by representatives of the people.
We know they have these powers. What's to argue about?
Should we be concerned? If we find out there has been such an abuse then yes.

 

[Quagmire]

Earlier today I got an invitation to join Google maps local guides. I figured "hey why not" so I hit accept.

I cringed a little bit (I always do) when it said allow "Google maps access to all of your photos and files", and I probably wouldn't have allowed if it wasn't for the fact that I just kind of assumed that Google had all that information anyway.

Anyway for some reason it bothered me more than usual and I went to go see if I could opt out of the program.

And here's what really bothers me: YOU CAN'T.

There are several Reddit, quora, and other pages, including the Google help page, that end with someone from Google giving instructions on how to opt out, but none of the instructions actually work.

The Google help page says:
"You may exit the program on the Local Guides settings page".

But it doesn't tell you how and there doesn't seem to be any way to actually do it. I pushed every button in there and there isn't anything vaguely resembling the alledged "Exit program" option.

Anyway I started a ticket in the Google help forum and see what happens there although I'm pretty sure what's going to happen is I'm going to be bombarded by a bunch of different versions of "but first, can I ask you why you want to leave"?

I really don't mind being spied on. I figure that's just the price of doing business these days, but I still feel like a chump for openly agreeing to it, and it really bothers me that once you're in you don't seem to be able to get out.

 

[Hockeycowboy]

That reminds me...I heard that YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook were merging.

They’re gonna call it “YouTwitFace.”

 

[Quetzal]

But, I for one woould be open to paying a "users fee" to exclude them from gathering data. Then again there is no way to guarantee that your information is secure once it goes on the internet.
Basically your dammed if you use it or inconvinced if you don't use it.

You pretty much nailed it. It is the wild west right now as far as your data. Who owns it? Who gets to see it? etc. I think this topic is going to be discussed again and again for the foreseeable future.

 

[Masterdebator]

We traded privacy for convenience. We were socially manipulated by glamor tactics, Get the latest tech or you're a bum. And it just gets more and more sophisticated each and every second we continue using social media, the AI is learning our behaviors and mannerisms. Like a slow, mental rape, at the end of it you go, "How the hell did I get here and how the heck do I get out??". Think about Pink Floyd's lyrics: (Wish you were here)

So, so you think you can tell Heaven from Hell, blue skies from pain.
Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?

Did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
Did you exchange
A walk-on part in the war for a lead role in a cage?

How I wish, how I wish you were here.
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year,
Running over the same old ground.
What have we found?
The same old fears.
Wish you were here.

 

[Hockeycowboy]

... Who owns it? Who gets to see it? etc. ...

Whoever has the most money.

 

[Twilight Hue]

File for a dmca if they are profiting off your name.

 

[Twilight Hue]

A general rule of thumb, If you put something on a computer, cell phone, smart tv, etc. you are sharing it with the world.
Anything you do not want to share, do not put it on anything that uses electricity.
Otherwise it may very well make it online for the whole world to see.

Sue for royalties from people profiting off your name.

 

[Kooky]

The government abuse of its powers given to it by representatives of the people.
We know they have these powers. What's to argue about?
Should we be concerned? If we find out there has been such an abuse then yes.

Do you consider the ethno-religious profiling practices of the clandestine security services such abuse?

 

[Nakosis]

Do you consider the ethno-religious profiling practices of the clandestine security services such abuse?

Not really. We all get profiled dozens of ways, not only by government agencies. I don't know how one could actually call it clandestine.

If they use this information illegally, then I would have a problem.