Warning: This thread may contain traces of paranoia. Proceed with caution.
As an average internet user, I am conscious of the fact that I leave digital footprints, and my various signatures, everywhere I go within the internet (and increasingly within the physical world, with mobile/GPS devices). As a member of this forum and as a user of free email services, this knowledge sits at the back of my mind, nagging at me, but is never properly addressed.
I know that with the right code, my data, or digital essence, can be compiled, sorted and condensed to reproduce a rather revealing image of myself (plus my friends/contacts), as well as my history and future plans (with the matter of probabilities aside for a moment). I don't consider myself a target and nor do I have any particular enemies I'm concerned about; however, I do find this vulnerability a tad unsettling.
*How do you other internet users out there feel about this?
*What's your relationship with the internet like?
*How do you manage your online identity/ies and activity?
So much to think about, but some questions which come to my mind:
- What are the implications of this? For now, and especially for the future.
- What of our online activity are we (legally) accountable for?
- To what extent can we incriminate ourselves (as members of a forum discussing illegal activities, for instance)?
- Should we sensor ourselves?
- Should I take measures to conceal my identity or activity?
- Can I navigate the internet as a 'free-man', untethered from the name on my birth certificate (and beyond the reach of the law(?))?
- Are there separate jurisdictions within the internet? Are we safer (protected), or do we have more freedom on particular websites? How does our physical location, and the location of the various servers influence law enforcement? How is the law enforced, and restricted, in this arena?
- As the data available on each of us (and everything) increases, I imagine that machines (super-computers?) will be increasingly utilised in the task of analysing and dealing with the information. A relevant (but vague) question then becomes, who will control the machines?
- Might digital weapons be created which can, for instance, infiltrate a user’s data-log (or harvest the data) and send fragments of sensitive information to specially-selected, personally-damaging recipients? E.g. exchanges related to drug use are sent to your boss
Ultimately, I feel that I have no privacy online. All of my information exchanges are recorded and available to someone somewhere. While I don’t think I have a lot to hide, there’s still some information I’d like to keep to myself and/or separate from certain others. I’m just thankful that I’m not a target and that I can speak freely online (about drugs, for instance) and share my experience, perhaps under an alternate identity/alias/knickname, without being 'charged' with anything. However, I have to wonder: for how long will this be the case, and should I be concerned about my information transactions, for my own safety or for those I communicate with, or for the good of the community?
P.S. I'm Australian, but feel free to discuss this as it relates to your physical location.
- - -
I find this matter interesting but not much fun to think about or actively research, to be honest. I'm sure it's been done to death at a million other locations online, so if anyone has any good links to share - please do.
For anyone interested, some film/anime which I think takes a look at these matters in an interesting way include:
Ghost in the Shell (movies and series)
Lain: The Serial Experiments
Black Mirror
Minority Report
I know there's heaps more.. Suggest some, if you like.
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"The guy went axe-happy on a trout farm, he killed 60 fish."
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