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diff --git a/content/blog/literally-1984.md b/content/blog/literally-1984.md index 4d221ed..553e916 100644 --- a/content/blog/literally-1984.md +++ b/content/blog/literally-1984.md @@ -1,6 +1,6 @@ +++ title = "Literally 1984" -date = 2026-08-21 +date = 2026-08-22 extra.image = "/assets/images/post-image/literally-1984.png" extra.header_title = "literally-1984" +++ @@ -8,22 +8,30 @@ extra.header_title = "literally-1984" *"Who controls the past, controls the future; who controls the present, controls the past."* — George Orwell, *1984* -In 1949, Orwell wrote a novel about an oppressive government that controlled information, constantly surveilled its citizens, and rewrote history. Many people who have read this book are shocked by the scary relevance it has to the modern day. +In 1949, Orwell wrote a novel about an oppressive government that controlled information, constantly surveilled its citizens, and rewrote history. Many people who have read this book are disturbed by how familiar it feels. What most people don't know, however, is that we aren't just close. We are already there. -Most people think about 1984 as a political warning. A book about an oppressive government, censorship, constant surveillance, and government overreach. And, while they're right, it is a political warning, it gets much darker than that. The infrastructure that Orwell described all the way back in 1949 isn't fictional anymore. The mass-surveillance and censorship of 1984 already exists in 2026, not in the form of giant telescreens on your wall, or recalls of all books, or memory holes — but in the form of your smartphone, your laptop, and every piece of modern technology around you. -## Privacy is a basic human right +## Part I: Your life is theirs + +### Privacy is a basic human right In 1984, the government installed telescreens in every house, and every room, to constantly surveil and track everyone wherever they go. In 2026, everyone is under constant surveillance, and they are either oblivious to it, or don't care enough to take action against it. -Our phones are constantly listening to us, watching us, and tracking everything we do online, in the name of "targeted advertising". In reality, it's just data collection — data that can (and will) be used against you by anyone who chooses to purchase it, whether that is governments, surveillance agencies (*cough cough, Palantir*), megacorporations, or anyone else. +Our phones are constantly listening to us, watching us, and tracking everything we do online. Even your antivirus is tracking you. +Yes, your antivirus. + +In 2020, Avast (and its subsidiary, AVG) was caught collecting and selling user personal data without consent. Avast quickly responded to the allegations, stating they were **true**, but the data was **"anonymized"** and **"aggregated"**. + +The catch is, "anonymized" data can be **deanonymized** when paired with truckloads of existing data (and for an antivirus that might also collect browsing history, that's pretty scary, isn't it?). EULAs can also change overnight. For all you know, the EULA could change, you press "Accept" out of habit, and now they collect **fully identified data**. + +Why do they do all this? They do it in the name of "targeted advertising". In reality, it's just data collection — data that can (and will) be used against you by anyone who chooses to purchase it, whether that is governments, surveillance agencies (*cough cough, Palantir*), megacorporations, or anyone else. Think about it. Think *carefully*. How much do you *really* know yourself? In 2026, the algorithm knows more about you than you do. And you should be afraid of that. -## You will own nothing and be happy +### You will own nothing and be happy In 1984, nothing is yours except the brain in your skull. Everything is rented, borrowed, temporary. @@ -34,7 +42,7 @@ In 2026, most computation happens in this "magical internet place" people call " You know what the cloud *really* is? It's just someone else's (usually owned by megacorporations or governments) computer(s) in a server rack. This is intentional. If your data and computational tasks are offloaded to the cloud, then your data and entire digital life isn't yours. It is theirs. -## The computer is an extension of the soul +### The computer is an extension of the soul The phone in your pocket. The laptop in your bag. |