Project Revelator: Defining the Term “Computer”

There was a time when we would never have to define what constituted a “computer.” It was a simpler time. Back then, three-letter agencies barely knew what the internet was nor did they consider it the perfect place to construct Bentham’s Panopticon. In the early days of the internet, we shared information without much thought to who could be gathering it or watching it pass through the infrastructure on it’s way to our intended destination. Sadly, those days have passed.

Now, we’ve slowly learned that we have more to worry about than we ever imagined. The price of data storage has dropped to a level that makes gathering all internet traffic a reality. Tools have been built that allow a properly motivated observer to monitor, redirect and forge network traffic. Devices that had never been considered computers are now exponentially more powerful computers than ones we used in the early days of the web. With this in mind, I’ll list some things that are computers that you may not have considered:

Automobiles
Personal healthcare devices (pacemakers, insulin pumps, etc)
Utility meters
Cellular phones (including the flip phone your dad refuses to upgrade)
Cable modems/routers
Home appliances
Public transportation kiosks
Security systems (home and commercial)
ATMs
Biometrically-secured safes and strongboxes
Televisions

This list could go on for a long time and gets bigger by the day. Some are not internet-connected. Many are. All generate data about those who use them. All have flaws that can be exploited to gain access to that data and more. Many send the data you’ve generated to someone else.

What can be defined as a computer has changed rapidly over the past 20 years. However, it seems what is perceived as a “computer” seems to have lagged far behind, at least in my mind. I hadn’t really thought about the reality of how many computers I interact with regularly until recently.

At the time of this writing, I’ll only be looking at one device. The personal computer. The Macbook Air in your bag. The Dell tower on your desk. I’ll be focusing on that type of device and see how it sells you out when you’re not looking. I’ll also be looking into how that information can be used, theoretically or otherwise.