As the author of the novel The Social Event, I am often thinking about what it means to live in a data driven society. I think that is what brought me to speculate the events of the story in my novel. I'm a believer in the data derived services pursued by Google. But I also consider, frequently, the possibilities of all that data being misused.
Recently, Farhad Manjood penned a piece in the New York Times,
which offered a glimpse of things to come from our friends at Google. I
recommend you read this, especially if you live life on the periphery of technology comprehension.
Now, it’s not my intention to sound derogatory or condescending.
Let’s face it, the majority of the global population that own, use and depend
on internet connected devices understand them only to the extent necessary to
leverage said technologies’ inherent utility. After all, life moves fast and
there is so much that must be managed. If we hand over the mundane to our
technology, then time is freed for a richer, more enjoyable life. But at what
cost?
Apps produce data. Every function available to you on your
interconnected device produces a high-resolution data trail. This means that
the cool thermostat that learns your comfort levels and can communicate it to
your smartphone has now provided a detailed model of your personal energy use.
Where does that data go? I mean, when I installed the app it showed me some screen
that said something about what the app needed to access in order to do what it
does, but I didn’t read it. It was way long and wordy.
Don’t misinterpret what I say. I’m an IT guy from way back,
albeit retired, but tech and its possibilities still fascinates me. I think the
opportunities for “lifestyle automation” are fantastic. Especially for a
growing baby-boomer demographic. And for people like myself, I happen to use a
wheelchair to get through life, the idea of having my house know I’m home and
having it turn on lights and unlock, and open, doors is very appealing.
To quote the Times piece as an example: “…Many of Google’s new services will improve how our computers work by
combining personal data and information gathered from sensors to create what
the company called “context aware” experiences.
“Today, computing
mainly automates things for you, but when we connect all these things, you can
truly start assisting people in a more meaningful way,” Mr. Pichai said. He
suggested a way for Android on people’s smartphones to interact with Android in
their cars. “If I go and pick up my kids, it would be good for my car to be
aware that my kids have entered the car and change the music to something
that’s appropriate for them,” Mr. Pichai said….”
I can almost hardly wait, almost. As we have witnessed just
recently, the America and global judicial systems are struggling to keep pace
with technology. The slow wheels of justice needed to travel all the way to the
Supreme Court before it was finally acknowledged that people’s entire lives are contained on their phones and as such, these devices should be protected by the
Fourth Amendment.
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But that protection is thin when you consider that
you must relinquish control of your data when you install an app. And, once
that data is in the “cloud,” it is no longer protected. Germany recognized this
and told Verizon to take a hike. The NSA and the U.S. Government says all that
data sitting on VZW’s servers is fair game. As a result, Verizon loses a large
client because they, by law, cannot deny Federal requests for the personal data
of yours they, or anyone else for that matter, store on their servers.
By extension, one could conclude that all my smart-home
data, my comings and goings, which room I’m in at any given time of the day,
what I watch on TV, where I surf and whom I call, is fair game. What are they
going to do with that data, anyway?
People have asked me what my muse was for the writing of my
fiction novel, The Social Event. My answer is the news. Specifically, the
technology section. If you take the scenarios to which Google’s Mr. Pichai
points and run them out, you come to a time when virtually everything about you
is known, and that which isn’t is being captured real-time. What this type of
high-resolution profiling can bring in terms of lifestyle improvements, in terms
of overall quality of life, is huge and good, if only they could protect my
data. But by law, they can’t. And in a world where no one gets something for
nothing, free apps are a data gold mine.
I do not plan ever to go off the grid but I will remain conscious
of the influence the digital world has on our lives. Because, as technology
becomes more able to anticipate me, my needs, and my inclinations, the more I’ll
need to recognize when I stop using technology and it starts using me.
To read the entire New York Times piece to which I refer,
click the link below
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