The topic of Surveillance Capitalism was chosen by a classmate to produce further research they would later provide me. This blog post explores the research generated and how useful it could be to my FMP.
The research I received was interesting. I was provided with real-world examples of surveillance techniques implemented by services/products, and even countries.
How North Korea Is Using Smartphones as Weapons of Mass Surveillance
In North Korea, smartphones are new with the general public being allowed to purchase from a collection of preapproved mobile devices by the government. The regime is using these as weapons of mass surveillance and censorship.
What is possible to access on a North Korean smartphone?
An android phone with preloaded apps: games, calculator
Cannot access with World Wide Web
Could only access to network confined to the country, known as Intranet.
A few choices of handsets, all pre-approved by the government
People knew they were being spied on.
IT security experts analysed a North Korean phone that was smuggled out of the country. They were able to analyse it and discover it was spying on individuals.
It was engineered to prevent filesharing. There was no way to delete browser history or activity. The device would take random screenshots of the browser history and other apps to send them to the government.
In a world full of surveillance, artist Trevor Paglen stares back
Intelligence and information gathering is hidden in plain sight.
'We are seeing it, but we are not recognising it' - Trevor Paglen
Transatlantic fibreoptic cables at the beech, unseen since they are underwater.
'As a culture, we should be paying attention to what is going on, we should be paying attention to the things that are shaping what the rest of our lives will be on, and what are children's life's will be on.'
'We should pay attention to Google as an institution and that we should really think about whether or not we want to have that sort of power concentrated in a particular company.'
CCTV Footage as Art
Some ideas mentioned in the video:
'We are living in a society where people walk around with cameras everywhere now'
We have notions of privacy that came about in a non-digital age.
Highway cameras: cameras in the middle of nowhere, the technology is waiting for something to happen.
We have no idea how many photos we appear in when multiple people take a photo at the beach
Reference list:
Creators. (2020). CCTV Footage As Art | Meet William Betts. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFfHfxrugeU (Accessed: 14 February 2020).
PBS NewsHour. (2018). In a world full of surveillance, artist Trevor Paglen stares back. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wRLpP_uuxA (Accessed: 14 February 2020).
sueanne (2014). Privacy World Recap - Sue Anne Rische. Available at: http://sueannerische.com/privacy-world-recap/ (Accessed: 14 February 2020).
Vozza, S. (2020). These apps make you feel like you have a personal assistant. Available at: https://www.fastcompany.com/90461420/these-apps-make-you-feel-like-you-have-a-personal-assistant (Accessed: 14 February 2020).
Wall Street Journal. (2017). How North Korea Is Using Smartphones as Weapons of Mass Surveillance. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwHx09wOhj8 (Accessed: 14 February 2020).
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