Cell Phones, Privacy, and Technological Voyuerism
 

I stumbled upon this article today at the Wired site about how cell phones can be used to predict behaviors. I'm fascinated about the ways in which technologies can make us anonymous and at the same time lay bare the presumed privacy of our daily lives.

Beyond this article I think about our concern for privacy and the growing legislation here and abroad about protecting our personal information. Yet it's amazing the facts we leave about ourselves voluntarily that gets automatically catalogued and indexed by google and other search engins.

Reality TV has made voyuerism commonplace, as exhibitionsits clamour for their moments of fame. We say to ourselves, we'd never do that - but in a way we do it with every post to a message board. There are things we do that we want people to witness, and those we'd rather do with stealth, and yet they all seem to be recorded and witnessed by our technology, waiting to be retrieved.

WIth me, it would be how often I am at Disneyland. ;)

But, the information gathered about my personal life is a bit uncomfortable for me. I can see the parinoia starting now.

This application is fascinating. The REAL organizational structure of an organization. We all KNOW that most organizations - large or small - have both an official structure and the "applicapable" structure.

Information gleaned through this process can be applied to pinpoint problem areas, see the effect of implemented changes and make the organization stronger. I love this particular application. On a professional level, it seems much more palatable.

I wonder how many companies could handle knowing the REAL organizational structure? Or at least how many people in the company's upper management.

Indeed, or what horrible things might happen should they try to tamper with it.

Sounds like the first step towards a working set of rules for Psychohistory.

Well, that right there is the REAL problem with this information. It sounds very interesting on a theoretical basis, but how many eagos would be bruised beyond repair - and how many employees would be punished for the "reality"?

So, today I have a meeting with a vendor - his product monitors and analyzes network activity.

So, it watches various activity - files attached, things going to webmail accounts, activity on IM and message boards, etc. and looks for targeted content - Social Security Numbers is the big one, but it looks for porn, music, numbers, hacking tools, info on masking drug tests, etc. When it finds something suspicious, it launches full scans of the offending systems and summarizes everything nicely in a color report.

I looked at this material, and thought to myself (all the while smiling and nodding), "so this is the face of Big Brother."

Ironincally new privacy regulations is the main driver for the success of this product (and other's like it). This is the way Company's can protect their employee and customer privacy, protect intellectual property, and maek sure your email/IM network doesn't help create a "Hostile work environment."

I see the appeal a product like this has for a large company, but I can't help but think that all the self-censorship that will result from it's implementation is somehow infringing on my privacy.

I think it may be time to ditch the company cell phone.

The REAL problem might actually be that such a "company phone" may remain, perpetually turned off, in a desk drawer.

As for the computer network stuff . . . I'm told "Big Brother" is most likely watching my computer at work. What Big Brother must think when I'm conferencing with a student about a research paper and we pull up web sites about diamonds made from dead people, I have no idea. But it's funny to think that there could be a glossy color-coded report that says "what the F is this all about?"

Yup. And just like every cautionary tale on the subject, there's no going back, no stopping BB from taking over.

I read a sci-fi novel a while ago (Snow Crash? Maybe) where a woman worked at some customer service place and every single keystroke was recorded and analyzed for efficiency, and her paycheck was calculated accordingly.

If the city I work for had that program I'd be broke.

I'd be fired.

Broke.

And homeless.

Hanging out in your library and reading.