Finding Freedom in the Age of Big Brother
As the presence of Big Brother continues to grow, society struggles to find the balance between surveillance and freedom. There are two ends of the spectrum: those that believe Big Brother is an invasion of privacy and those that believe more surveillance is necessary for safety and freedom. However, those who choose to enter the age of surveillance kicking and screaming ignore the critical fact that no matter how much they resist, Big Brother is not going anywhere. Technology is only improving, and by adapting to the age of Big Brother, these innovations can be properly utilized in order to protect the greater good by not simply ignoring it, rather regulating it and implementing necessary checks and balances.
In his New York Times article “If You Can’t Hide From Big Brother, Adapt”, David Brin explains, “Much of today’s hand-wringing focuses rightfully on potential abuse of power. Both ends of the hoary political spectrum disagree over whether to most fear government or a rising corporate oligarchy, but all paladins of liberty share one dread: that despots will be tech-empowered by universal surveillance.” Whether you choose to refer to it as surveillance or snooping, there will always be the potential for the powers that be to abuse the constantly improving technology. As Edward Snowden exposed unethical surveillance imposed by the NSA and CIA, it has become evident that Big Brother is present as ever, and people are afraid of the implications. As Brine details, waves of innovation continue to come, and there is no way to avoid it. Therefore, the answer is not to run, rather adapt.
While increasing innovation can lead to the potential abuse of power, it can also be a beautiful thing. This anxiety is even prominent in pop culture and is the focal point of top grossing Marvel movies such as The Avengers: Age of Ultron. For those who haven’t seen it, Ultron is artificial intellegence designed as a global peacekeeping program in which Tony Stark, or Iron Man, implements. While his intentions are pure, Stark fails to realize the potential implications and Ultron’s power ultimately becomes out of hand and threatens the existence of the human race. While this is an extreme example of society’s anxiety, it sheds a light on people’s deeply rooted fear of emerging technology taking over. However, as seen in the character of Jarvis throughout the Iron Man and Avengers franchise, technology can also be beautiful and extremely beneficial. While Ultron represents the fear, Jarvis is artificial intelligence that represents the positive potential of technological advancement. As Brin puts it, there will always be “hemmorhages” when it comes to surveillance and there will be people who abuse their power. Furthermore, there will be “unintended consequences”. He explains, “attorneys in divorce, murder and other cases have filed demands to access the N.S.A.’s freshly revealed database of U.S. telephone call traffic links, as a vital resource to exculpate their clients.” But when it comes to technological advancements in surveillance, embracing the opportunities is entirely more productive than bringing them to a screeching halt.
But how do we as a society properly adapt to such advancements? Brine explains, “It is fallacious to base our freedom and safety upon blinding of elites.” We entrust government officials and agencies with the power to protect us as United States citizens. We give them the power to surveil, and in order to properly do so, they must develop new technologies. He continues, “But the answer isn’t to cower or hide from Big Brother, nor to blind our watchdogs. The solution is to answer surveillance with sousveillance, or looking back at the mighty from below.” We can’t ask our security agencies to simply abandon their jobs because we as a society are afraid to adapt. The answer is reciprocated accountability in which we as the surveilled take proper initiative in order to ensure that surveillance agencies do not overstep their bounds. If we stop fearing Big Brother and instead cooperate and adapt, society will benefit. We need Big Brother, and at the end of the day, no one can hide. But is that really a bad thing? As Brine explains it, “Among the foes who would do us grievous harm — from terrorists to hostile states to criminal gangs — can you name one that’s not fatally allergic to light?” Big Brother’s primary role is to bring these threats to light, and by doing so, the United States government ensures that security and freedom go hand-in-hand.
Brine concludes that the most important this is “Adapting with resilience, not panic. Finding ways to maximize the good and minimize the bad.” Society’s anxiety portrays surveillance as negative. People refer to it as “snooping” and fear technological advancements will grant Big Brother too much power. But running away and cowering in the shadows is not the answer. Embracing the potential of innovation and adapting through proper checks and balances will ensure that Big Brother can properly do their job and in return, citizens will remain safe and free.
