Orwell Was An Optimist: Happy New Year - Falkvinge on Infopolicy
►http://falkvinge.net/2012/01/03/orwell-was-an-optimist-happy-new-year
When Orwell painted his dystopic future (which is out of copyright in Australia), perhaps this paragraph summarizes the dystopian society most of all:
The telescreen received and transmitted simultaneously. Any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it, moreover, so long as he remained within the field of vision which the metal plaque commanded, he could be seen as well as heard.
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In the book 1984, the government is able to watch three things. What we say out loud, who we meet in our homes, and what we do in our own home. They are only able to observe this as it happens; if they missed it, you are safe, but there was no way to tell if they missed it.
Today, we have arrived at a point where the Western “free” governments can monitor:
What you say at home, and more importantly, what you think of
What news articles you read, for how long, and in what order
Your dating preferences
Your future travel plans..