How dictators watch us on the web « Prospect Magazine
by Evgeny Morozov
The technologies that allow freedom also allow control. This all makes perfect sense, sadly. Everything can be hacked, by any side. But the growing theme for all social network users--wherever they are--is the creeping (or galloping) loss of freedom and loss of anonymity.
by Evgeny Morozov
Social networking, then, has inadvertently made it easier to gather intelligence about activist networks. Even a tiny security flaw in the settings of one Facebook profile can compromise the security of many others. A study by two MIT students, reported in September, showed it is possible to predict a person’s sexual orientation by analysing their Facebook friends; bad news for those in regions where homosexuality carries the threat of beatings and prison. And many authoritarian regimes are turning to data-mining companies to help them identify troublemakers. TRS Technologies in China is one such company. It boasts that “thanks to our technology, the work of ten internet cops can now be done by just one.”
The technologies that allow freedom also allow control. This all makes perfect sense, sadly. Everything can be hacked, by any side. But the growing theme for all social network users--wherever they are--is the creeping (or galloping) loss of freedom and loss of anonymity.
