Surveillance Technology & Human Rights
We live in a world where our personal data is being collected, bought, and sold without our consent, as well as exploited and weaponized by corporations and governmental agencies. This hurts and limits the work and reach of organizations and collectives whose focus is justice and movement building. In an interview with the Atlantic, cognitive scientist, Gary Marcus was asked about the dangers of techno-fascism and said:
“I mean, that’s exactly what’s happening in the United States right now—techno-fascism. You know, the intent appears to be to replace most people—most federal workers—with AI, which is gonna have all the problems that we talked about. The intent is to surveil them, to surveil people. To get, you know, massive amounts of data, put it all together in one place, accessible to a small oligarchy. I mean, that’s just what they’re doing. This is not science fiction that could happen in 10 years. This is essentially the active thing that is happening right now, that has, you know, been happening for the last few months.” [Source]
Techno-Fascism + Political Repression
Our opinions, internet searches, lived experiences, community alliances, are collected and shared without our consent. Cyber censorship is being used to suppress BIPOC, disenfranchised, and marginalized groups. Many organizations are finding that they are being shadow banned on social media and others have been outright kicked off mainstream platforms all together. Joan Donovan, a journalism and emerging media professor at Boston University, wrote:
“When tech CEOs encode their political beliefs into the design of platforms, it’s a form of technofascism, where technology is used for political suppression of speech and to repress the organization of resistance to the state or capitalism.” [Source]
We have rights that are meant to protect us from this repression; Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says no one should be subjected to “arbitrary interference with (their) privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon (their) honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.” [Source] Also, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights including Article 17 prohibits “arbitrary or unlawful” interference with the right to privacy. Techno-fascism weaponizes technology to dominate human beings and control every aspect of our lives while violating our human rights.
Technology – A Tool + A Weapon
“Technology exists to serve humanity, and its purpose should align with our most fundamental values.”
–Cansu Canca, Founder & Director, AI Ethics Lab; Director of Responsible AI Practice & Research Associate Professor in Philosophy, Northeastern University.
Technology should serve and align with our values. There are many people who work in tech industries because they desire to create technology that can be used as tools to improve our lives. There are also many people who view technology as a weapon to oppress and control. In this sense, techno-fascism, unfortunately, is aligned with the dominant values of our society.
Footage from body cameras worn by police officers and/or ICE agents have been withheld in some incidents of violence or brutality. There are also instances of police disabling body cameras and removing the possibility of collecting any video evidence from those cameras. A tool created to provide transparency around police behavior has been subverted to selectively tell parts of a chosen narrative. [Source]
Right now, the violation of our rights is aimed at what we say and our ability to share our opinions, thoughts, perspectives, and political views. More and more, organizations and people who express opinions that challenge the current administration or dominating political ideology are punished, have their social media accounts suspended or banned. Freedom of speech is not just for the speech you agree with, it includes differing perspectives. With increased tracking of personal data and use behaviors, anonymity is less and less of a possibility when using the internet or technology, limiting our freedom of speech even more.
It takes courage to reveal the truths about our lived experience and to say, regardless of oppressive forces threatening otherwise, that we have the right to spaces that are safe, equitable, and just. These are complicated issues and ever evolving.
How Do We Defend + Protect Ourselves?
How do we defend ourselves and our right to speak truth to power? We organize as a collective and demand our rights. Does that feel intimidating? No worries, we got some practical steps on our blog, to get you started:
If approached, detained, or arrested by the police or ICE, you have the right to remain silent.
Police and federal agents cannot enter your home or business without a warrant.
You are not required to unlock or share the passwords to your phone, computer, or device with the police.
Below are some defenses you can use to protect yourself against predatory spyware designed to steal your personal data:
Keep your devices updated. Don’t delay with keeping your devices updated, especially because those updates typically fix any bugs that make your electronic devices vulnerable to attack.
Enable Apple’s Lockdown Mode in iOS. Once enabled, it prevents your phone from using certain features that are frequently exploited. Doing this reduces your attack surface.
Enable Advanced Data Protection for iCloud, which encrypts your iCloud data with a key you control and Apple doesn’t. This prevents Apple from sharing your messages, photos and any data backed up to iCloud to the police, ICE or FBI.
Enable Android Advanced Protection – this reduces your vulnerability to invasive spyware.
You can read morehere to find information on your rights and how to protect yourself, your community and organization.
If you need support navigating the privacy and security and/or protecting the privacy of your organization, clients or ecosystem, contact us here.
