Surveillance

·         9/11/2001: 3,000 deaths on American soil

·         9/1/2004: At least 334 people, including 156 children killed in 3-day Beslan hostage crisis

·         7/7/2005: 52 civilians killed, 700 injured in London bombings

·         4/15/2013: 3 deaths and at least 16 amputations following the Boston marathon bombings

·         9/21/2013: 72 deaths as a result of the Kenyan shopping mall massacre

·         12/29/2013: Suicide bombing killed at least 15 people in Volgograd

The hydra-headed menace of terrorism in the digital era has made many citizens willing to exchange privacy for security. Continuous surveillance and analysis of terabytes of data, the reasoning goes, will reveal potential perpetrators and keep the public safe. The underlying social theory for controlling human populations through surveillance i.e., panopticism was developed by the French philosopher, Michel Foucault, and has undeniable allure as a means to reduce the death toll due to terrorism and other criminal activities. Former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden’s leaks ignited a debate about the scope of government surveillance and recent data breaches in the private sector amplified concerns about the merits of indiscriminate scrutiny.

Balancing individual rights and liberties against privacy and security in increasingly cyber-based societies, is likely to be an important topic occupying many peoples’ minds for the foreseeable future. When search engines store our browsing patterns, marketers target ads suited to our tastes, and individuals willingly share information about illnesses in order to seek cures, one could argue that the rewards of sharing information outweigh individual rights to privacy. In a digitally transparent world secured from criminal elements, mankind will flourish as disparate communities gain knowledge from one another (and even topple governments in some cases) through smart phones and social networking sites.

Relationships will continue to blossom as lonely hearts bond via match.com and Skype connects loved ones physically separated by distance. When a shy entrepreneur fosters puppy love by designing an app to attract the prom queen or when millennials celebrate marriages by sharing ceremonies with relatives via digital avatars, one could marvel about the positive and interesting impact that digital transparency has on relationships. We are, after all, witnessing a creativity boom and role models are only a few tweets away from a global audience with inspirational messages and actions.

However, human behavior is not always positive. This is especially true for relationships. Is it possible that we have also unleashed George Orwell’s vision of the future, as described in 1984, when anyone can anonymously post intimate content online or Google glass (or technologies yet to be invented) could be used to immortalize the seven deadly sins of individuals by unscrupulous users (jealous exes etc.) in cyber-space? How would the knowledge of access to such unfettered powers change our concept of love and relationships? If personal lives are encrypted from prying eyes, who would guard these secrets and for how long? Who will watch “Big Brother”? Only time will tell.