Hello Steelitians !!
Today I would like to talk to you about the Big Brother, and the incredible measures that some governments like China are taking.
- What is the Big Brother ?
- Big Data to Big Brother : Prism program ?
- Edward Snowden : the whistleblower !
- Big Brother in China
- Smart cities
- RFID Chips
1. First of all, what is the big brother?
Its not a member of a big family ! NOOO !
The origin of this name comes from a science-fiction novel written by George Orwell in 1984. Today, this term is used to describe all institutions or practices that infringe on the fundamental freedoms and privacy of people and communities.
2. Big Data to Big Brother : Prism program ?
The world of data has opened up possibilities beyond our comprehension. The collection of information, known as BigData, is massively and daily on our personal data through the Prism program: identity, activities on the internet, credit card, location, behavior on the web, personality ... etc, everything goes . The question we might ask ourselves is: can these data, which we provide free to governments, but also to private companies, and most of the time without our knowledge, backfire? If yes, how ?
Who did not hear about Edward Snowden ? The former US intelligence officer who denounced a big brother law and mass surveillance. He insisted that the people be aware of these devices placed by governments, because all these measures violate individual freedom and respect for private life.
3. Big Data in China
In China, there is already a system in place that aims to identify anyone on the street in less than three seconds, using sophisticated facial recognition tools.
For example, a man who crosses the street when the fire is red will be filmed, and in less than three seconds, he will be identified. We will call him Mr. Shong.
So, Mr. Shong will be fined at home but not that, his face will be displayed on large advertising screens.
This device requires photos of all individuals in the population that are already stored, and millions of surveillance cameras that are 16 million today in China, and this figure will triple in two years. There may be more disturbing drifts, such as the recognition of an individual in a crowd of demonstrations ... etc.
More absurd still, we use facial recognition cameras to control the amount of paper consumed in public toilets, which is limited to 60cm.
And it does not stop there, the Chinese state now wants to create a rating system for citizens based on their behavior. The score varies between 350 and 950, and this note will evolve according to certain criteria such as:
- Paying taxes on time increases the rating
- A parking fine lowers the bill
- Activities on the internet: good / bad dating, publications ...
- Purchases: if a parent buys diapers, he is responsible and his score increases, on the other hand if he buys lots of video games for his children his rating drops because of immaturity
This rating will have a serious impact on a lot of things: a good note implies that the individual will be able to make an easy loan to the bank, where to rent a car without a bond, but a bad note implies that children will not be able to to register in the good school, where to even miss the promotion at work.
Jackie Chan dislike this !
It's incredible, and yet it could be the world of tomorrow. Moreover, it is not only China that is on this trend, many governments in the world tend to design smart and connected cities. This concept can be both seductive and scary, under the slogan:
Technology at the service of the inhabitants
Put yourself in danger for your safety
5. What is a smart city?
First, it is not a city that will be able to solve problems of physics and mathematics! It's a city that constantly collects data to improve the quality of life and optimize resources
Populations will obediently adhere to this system, as many benefits will be put forward. We can cite :
5.1. At the scale of the city:
- There will be no more kidnapping or thieves: the perpetrators will be quickly located and identified.
- There will be no more train accidents: the cameras in the stations will trigger a stop as soon as they detect an obstacle on the rails, for example a human being who falls by accident.
- Prevent in real time the interventions in case of accident like the pipes ... etc
- Detection of parking spaces in real time by smart street lights
- Lean automatic watering by meteorological sensors
- Detection of the pollution rate in the air
- Flood prevention with the detection of the height of the watercourse
- Fluid real estate traffic and adapted road light plans
- Smart lighting in the streets
##5.2. :At the scale of the house:
- Smart electricity meters that alert real-time energy consumption.
- Sensors that adapt the heating according to the temperature.
And then ... on a human scale! These are not just objects that we lug around for a long time, like smartphones or smart watches, it's also the famous RFID chip.
For those who do not know it, an RFID chip is an electronic chip the size of a grain of rice, which is implanted in people's hands between the thumb and forefinger and which aims to facilitate everyday life. This chip contains all our personal data and can have incredible applications: - Go through the door of a company with a simple gesture of the hand as for a smart key, and without badge of access.
- Unlock his computer or a photocopier.
- Pay to the distributor without a credit card.
- Scan a personal business card and exchange information stored in the chip.
6. RFID Chips :
Millions of people are already implanted with this chip, including Mexico and Belgium with 2 million implanted individuals, the United States, Sweden and now France.
The question, do we have to understand these technologies?
We already know the many diseases and risks that develop with these Wi-Fi networks such as Alzheimer's, cancer, sleep disorders, should we add a layer?
In addition to the health risks that are not the subject here, what guarantees that our private lives are protected? Will this real-time monitoring affect our individual freedoms?
This is the great debate that has been launched since the revelations of Snowden broke out, and which the major institutions of personal data protection like the CNIL in Europe refuses to pronounce and no longer have credibility as to their missions.
To conclude, I think it is the duty of every citizen to be vigilant, behaving like a smart consumer, and not sign daily contracts without even bothering to read them. We must also have the choice to accept or refuse to be involved in these changes, because unfortunately, the system does not respect this right and always tends to impose it indirectly.
Thank you !