So this is the world we now live in

I assume by now that you’ve heard some news report about the NSA American spying scandal, the PRISM system and the now former Booz Allen Hamilton employee, Edward Snowden, who leaked all the sorted details.  Although the NSA has been doing what it’s doing for quite some time – the extent of the spying came as quite a shock to some.  Yet to others it seemed like a big deal being made over nothing.  For me, the news of the NSA spying on the American public put me in the middle of the road of being shocked and not shocked.

From the time of the 9/11 incident, there was a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that every American citizen was having their communications monitored.  And because one of my career paths is in Information Technology, the more I learned about the field — the more those feelings nagged me.  But since I wasn’t a criminal or a terrorist – I had always managed to brush aside those feelings.  That was until lately.

I don’t consider myself as a tin foil hat wearing, conspiracy theorist, demon behind every rock kind of person.  I am, however, one who gets concerned when certain government agencies get out of control.  Which, in this case the NSA is, in my opinion, out of control right now. Why? Because of the extensive, unnecessary data mining and surveillance that is being done to every member of the American public.

Consider this example: Right now, I am currently siting in a Starbucks as I write this blog post. Because of the way most POS systems work and the use of my Starbucks card – the NSA now knows what I drank at Starbucks. During the course of my work – I made a post to Facebook – which the NSA now knows about.  I also made a call to a friend about an out of town dinner appointment next week – which again, the NSA now knows about.  And incidentally, because of my Android smartphone with GPS – the NSA knows which Starbucks I’m sitting in – right down to a few meters.  I could go on and on – but you get the point – the NSA, because of systems like PRISM, possesses a lot of unnecessary data details about most American citizens.

This is where the “I’m not doing anything wrong – why should I worry” attitude and approach to things doesn’t cut it anymore. Just think about it, if you’re not completely off the grid – you are being data mined on almost every little detail of your life. You are being monitored, spied on everywhere you go.  In short, you are under surveillance so much — the NSA knows about your wazoo.  The other reason is that technology as well as people can go south – resulting in disastrous consequences.  Another way to put this is who monitors those who monitor the American public? Additionally, what checks and balances are in place when things get out of control?  I suspect none.

Even if you have a “don’t worry, be happy” attitude about the whole NSA spying scandal – you should ask yourself these questions: Do you really want the NSA to know every little  detail about your life?  Furthermore, do you want to be monitored everywhere you go?  My personal answers to the aforementioned questions is no.

So again, this is the world that we now live in.  It is a world that far surpasses George Orwell’s “1984” both in technology and function.  It is also a world that be inconceivable even to George Orwell himself.

How do you feel about the NSA spying scandal — leave a comment.

News/photo source: The Guardian, UK.