We should actually be freaking at this very moment knowing that venture capitalists are pouring billions of dollars in technology companies going after"Big Data". Each year you are being better and better mapped, solicited and sold for money; and did you think your downloaded app was for free? There is a fine line between use and abuse of all the data collected and some of it is very personal information. In the wrong hands - devastating. Think of it; the next big thing are smart watches. Now you are strapped even tighter in the net; and more data about your physical self will get transferred to a collector. To what use? Well, I don't have to spell it out - do I? Now that the human population will almost voluntarily radio tag itself like cattle and walk around with VR glasses with super smart phones on their person; the possibilities of predicting, influencing and extracting behaviour become infinite. From economic reasons it will almost certainly gravitate to the need to control.
Mankind has never followed the advice given by Uncle Ben (Spiderman) "With great power comes greater responsibility" and has abused the instruments available in his hands to wrest control. It's not clear if in 2024 will it be a battle between nations or religious factions as we know them today or between "FBians" and "Googlies" or much smaller or larger followings that may form by then. But, I do know that as of today - my fundamental rights of privacy are being violated and I am to a large extent willingly allowing it to happen. Mr. Orwell, your 1984 has just about begun 3 decades later; and we are being watched by not one but several Big Brothers.
“If you want to keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself.”
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