A lot of people live their lives like children, especially in how they interact with and use digital technology. A new device is considered to be really cool. It has multiple high pixel cameras, powerful functionality for apps, and you love showing it off and using it. Do they realise that they are recording their lives and providing data surveillance for corporations and the state? The abuse of digital privacy. Police routinely examine digital devices and social media posts when investigating suspects. In Trump’s America, customs and border agents screen the online content behaviour of travellers presenting at airports and border crossings. Judgements are being made against people based on their digital data records contained on their devices and the platforms.
The Trump Regime’s Abuse Of Your Digital Privacy
You may think, well, I am not breaking the law and, therefore, I don’t care about such things. This is a foolish and childish attitude to hold. We live in an increasingly surveilled world and what you may think is fine now, in terms of the law, may not be so tomorrow or next week. In America, any criticism of Israel’s war on Gaza is now an offence against the Trump regime and punishable by detainment, deportation, and entry denial to the US. This kind of thing was not the case a few months ago- things are rapidly changing. ICE agents are seizing devices and examining social media and online records of their targets. Travellers are rethinking their travel plans when it comes to visiting the US. It may not be just the genocide in Gaza; it may also be your DEI beliefs and behaviours that may fall foul of the Trump regime and its police state repressions. Woke behaviours and writings in support of such polices may incur the wrath of the Trump regime.
Privacy Abuses In Fascist States
The abuse of digital privacy. Fascist regimes everywhere are increasing surveillance on their citizens and utilising our own surveillance of our lives to control dissent. Israel has been controlling the lives of Palestinians through the Occupation for decades. Border controls to and from the West Bank, where illegal Israeli settler communities are swelling every day, these are enforced by IDF soldiers who treat Palestinians like dogs. Traffic is deliberately held up for Palestinians for lengthy periods and search and detain policies are rife. Long before the Hamas October 7th attacks this heavy handed control has made the lives of the oppressed less and less. Digital devices make checking the lives of subject human beings another more convenient process.
The True Cost Of Convenience
The ubiquitous uptake of digital devices has made the Orwellian dystopian realm a reality rather than just another good story. It has been progress based on the digital convenience and acceleration of processes. Everything we do now is quicker and expectations are for instantaneous results in terms of information being provided. Children love the games and the colourful displays inherent within these digital devices. In many ways, these devices have made us all more childlike in our unquestioning acceptance of how these digital technologies have changed our world. It is only now, that the true cost of this convenience is coming into the light. Surveillance capitalism has grown rich on our data – none of us have been paid anything for this resource. The state loves the technology because it can control us through our own digital record keeping and irresponsible surrendering of our rights to privacy. Businesses, largely multinational corporations, can extract rents from us all via our usage of these devices and their apps. Oligarchs have grown obscenely rich in hundreds and tens of billions of dollars. Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiele, and the new AI technolords. They have all lined up behind Donald Trump.
Your Device Is A Portal Into Your Life
The abuse of digital privacy. Poorly educated and disengaged folk are merrily using these devices and this technology with little to no awareness of its ramifications for their lives. Most human beings do not know how the Internet works. Using stuff without understanding what you are using makes you vulnerable. The online space is a deeply fraudulent space. There are many more bots and machines inhabiting the world wide web than actual human beings. A lot of folk have a few drinks and get online. Their guard is down and they are largely ignorant about how it all works anyway. Scammers take billions from foolish folk every day globally. Lonely hearts get exploited. Greedy investors get taken for all they are worth. Influence is peddled via disinformation and bots pretending to be people. Much of what you see online is not what it purports to be. AI is making that harder to spot. Your digital device is a portal for criminals and malfeasants into your life.
Get Real Around The Digital World
Wake up. Stop treating your phone as some cool toy – it aint! Whether you want to be an adult or not the stakes are much higher than you think. If you can realise one thing, realise that you are recording your life via your activities and use of your devices. This digital recording can be used against you by those wishing to do so. It may not happen today, or tomorrow, but when it does your goose is cooked. It could be at the airport customs. It might be when the police pull you in for whatever. Anti-Terrorism law changes have given the police far greater access to things like your digital devices. The scary world is here now!
“The US brought down Japan, financially speaking, at this time, and I would imagine that there are plenty of folk in Japan with long memories about this and what it meant for their economy going forward. The irresponsible Trump may just be the motivation for Japan to revenge itself on America via the bond market. “
Robert Sudha Hamilton is the author of America Matters: Pre-apocalyptic Posts & Essays in the Shadow of Trump.
©GolfDom
