Smart TV's and the Surveillance State

[Coito ergo sum]

http://money.cnn.com/2013/08/01/technol ... d=HP_River

I'm less unnerved by hackers than I am by the following:

[loud buzzer signal is heard through out the house]

"This is the ______ police. Please have all persons present in this house stand in front of the television."

[electronic locks click shut]

"All doors are being locked for security purposes. All persons within this house are directed to remain within the walls of the building. Do not attempt to exit the home through a door or window. It is a criminal violation to disobey these instructions."

[occupants of the house gather in front of the television]

"Please look directly at the television for retinal scan and other biometric identification."

[people wait as they are scanned]

"Records reflect that Jane Q. Public also resides in this house and infrared security cameras detect a possible human sized object in the northwest room of this house."

[murmuring]

"Jane is on the toilet, ma'am."




I thought about getting Z-Wave electronic locks for the house, and lights and appliances, but, as cool as that stuff is, it's kind of unnerving. If I can control it from my iPhone, then so can others. Soon the temperatures in our homes and the length of our showers could be controlled by a central government.

[beep beep beep]

"Warning, this shower will terminate in 3 minutes. You are advised to rinse out your soap now, and prepare to dry off."

[beep beep beep]

"Warning -- your heat is set to 70 degrees. To avoid exceeding permissible energy usage, the Ministry of Electricity is turning your thermostat down to 68 degrees...."

[Sean Hayden]

[Clinton Huxley]

It has come to our attention that you have only watched 927 adverts this month. The statutory requirement is 1200. Please sit in front of your tv or face a $100 fine for subverting capitalism.

[Coito ergo sum]

you laugh -- but that all can be automated.

They could put people on exercise regimens ordered by the the Department of Health and Human Services. Folks who don't get enough exercise are a drain on the health system....

[Clinton Huxley]

Soon, reading a piece of paper using unaided eyeballs will be considered an act of sedition.

[Sean Hayden]

I laughed because you were being funny. I thought you were using examples people would find funny to highlight a potentially serious abuse of technology. As an electronics/computer/programming hobbyist I'm aware of these things.



I wonder though how willing I'd ever be to comply with any of that. I do believe I would only do so to cover a secret life of rebellion.

[JacksSmirkingRevenge]

<snip>
I wonder though how willing I'd ever be to comply with any of that. I do believe I would only do so to cover a secret life of rebellion.

I doubt willingness would have anything to do with it.
I have no doubt that chipping people will be commonplace at some (perhaps not very distant) point in the future.
We've already seen the thin end of the wedge and they will get what they want (total control and the ability to exploit boundlessly) little by little.

[Sean Hayden]

That's probably true for the majority. I think willingness plays a part for some though. For me it definitely plays a part. I can refuse to comply with authority. I want to think many others are capable of refusing authority too. But that's probably just not true of most people and perhaps that's for the best.

[Coito ergo sum]

<snip>
I wonder though how willing I'd ever be to comply with any of that. I do believe I would only do so to cover a secret life of rebellion.

I doubt willingness would have anything to do with it.
I have no doubt that chipping people will be commonplace at some (perhaps not very distant) point in the future.
We've already seen the thin end of the wedge and they will get what they want (total control and the ability to exploit boundlessly) little by little.

Oh, the chipping thing is going to be easy to get into our culture.

First it will be dogs and cats -- chip your dogs and cats, and never lose them, have their health records scannable by any veterinarian, track them on your iPhone, etc.

Then, it'll be like "we protect our dogs and cats better than we protect our chil'run! What about the chil'run!" And, every scared parent will want chip in their kid's shoulder to make sure that they can't be kidnapped, and that doctors will have all medical records necessary at a moment's scan, and so that people can look at their iphone and see where their kids are at all times.

One the kids have them, taking them out is not going to make sense. One generation or two, and it wills seem ridiculous NOT to have them.