January 29, 2021

Shoshana Zuboff today wrote an interesting article concerning how private companies such as Facebook, Google, Amazon, Apple, Twitter, Etc. have taken our personal private information and given access to unknown others as well as they have manipulated data streamed to us to influence us as long as it benefits the actors behind the data streaming. The author rightfully gives historical and moral background for privacy and democracy pointing out that private company privacy is not the same as a citizens. Also, that rule following behaviors is necessary in a democracy as a social contract or chaos will result. i.e. a simple rule to stop at a red light is followed by most people even though enforcement by surveillance may not be present in most instances. Well, what would happen if we did not follow this rule? Chaos. Similarly the seat belt law was enacted in 1968 federal law, Title 49 of the United States Code, Chapter 301, Motor Safety Standard, Now most of us follow this law since for safety sake it makes a lot of sense but also there has not been much opposition in 1968. Now though not a law we have a pandemic in which is best managed through social distancing and face mask wearing though the vaccine now may show some final light at the end of this tunnel.  However, go on the social media and all sorts of "information" is now available claiming quite outlandish things about these simple behaviors that can save many lives. ie the virus is not so deadly. Wearing a mask takes away your civil rights! If you wear a mask you're a woos. I'm Republican and Trump says... I want to party with my friends and it's my right. If you follow the public health recommendations you're being duped by "experts" who make a lot of money and don't know what they are talking about... 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/29/opinion/sunday/facebook-surveillance-society-technology.html

Well, I'm not a Facebook person. I don't get involved with the online and digital phone media streamers and chat group aps such as Twitter or Instagram. However, I have become aware that some of my hiking friends, family, and others who I come in contact with do enjoy and frequent these outlets. To these ears, I hear them tell me some very surprising thoughts. ie Trump won the election and the results were falsified so the election was stolen from him. Or the new virus vaccine using mRNA is using genetic manipulation that when injected into your body can change you somehow or even track your activities. Or the impeachment proceeding initiated by the House of Representatives is caused by the Democrats harassment without merit only for politics so all the allegations are false, misleading, and untrue. 

So when I checked for example on someone's Facebook page open for my perusal Qanon conspiracy propaganda was liked and links to other posts displayed without any trouble and these post looked like real news stories ready for consumption. So before I decided to begin this post I started a message to my three children and wife related to the article above cited as follows. "What do you think? For example, if I'm a Facebook user I want to socialized and share but then I'm subject to likes and media links and other users with similar views that may influence my opinions even radicalize me. I'm a "simple" user not a "savvy" skeptic like myself.How do I regulate Facebook so I can do my thing without these influences? Or I'm a politician wanting followers so I post all sorts of stuff." Without regulation we now have Facebook streaming to many all sorts of misinformation which if believed can cause all sorts of harm ie my facemask and social distancing example. We know that some of the USA white supremacist groups are recruiting followers who even travel to the Ukraine for military style indoctrination even fighting on one side or the other in the conflicts there.  https://time.com/5926750/azov-far-right-movement-facebook/

Zuboff points out that Facebook, Google, and others contribute large sums of money to various politicians and groups to prevent regulation being imposed on them. Likewise Facebook receives money for our information profiles without any regulation on its use. Only recently Twitter begans to police the fake news and propaganda that incited violence. So far Facebook has only made baby steps in this direction. Freedom in a democracy also includes freedom from propaganda geared to psychologically influence us. Our government agencies tied to national security have encouraged companies such as Facebook and Google to collect more and more information as long as these agencies have access.  Yes foreign governments are involved in cyber warfare. But so are certain of our own political groups depending on these avenues to attempt to gain political and economic power. For all the controversy of Snowden he did point out how we were using private information illegally in our government. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/03/edward-snowden-nsa-surveillance-guardian-court-rules 

News media do create and publicize pseudoevents (Boostin). The online venues now do more. They now know what you buy, read, where you go, what your likes and dislikes are, etc. So you then are fed feeds, products, and information that matches what they collect on you. They sell the information they have on you to others including political entities and forces for a profit with no regard to how the recipient of the information will use your information. 

Well, how come I'm so enlightened?  I'm subject to the same influences as anyone. My righteous indignation quota does motivate me to think, study, reflect, and write. My hidden agendas sometimes reveal themselves to me so I learn more about myself and how my mind sometimes works well and sometimes how wrong I can be. 

I just finished Metazoa by Peter Godfrey Smith a biologist who does a lot of research and observations in his native sea in Australia. He's writing about evolution but then makes some foreighs into brain research, research into memory, and attempts to describe the presence and perceptual and motor life of an octopus.The book includes philosophical discussions concerning what is life, consciousness, awareness, reality, etc. Well, we have a corpus callosum a highway of nerves communicating between our cerebral hemispheres, Each hemisphere has areas similar to each side but there is specialization so that group social relations is more on the non dominant side while language and tracking is on the dominant side. Interesting in that he can find in fish who use a lateral system of sensors also differences between right and left brain functioning. Our memory system are not digital or photographic but subject to our living and change over time.We are connected and have evolved from offshoots what created the creatures described in his book.  Since many of the creatures studied may have a sense of their own presence and have memory, our killing and maiming of them may need some thought since nociceptive pain sensors may be present so suffering can be imagined. 

Well, here in this book the author is giving some voice to creatures far removed from our usual consideration as deserving some care (he discusses this in relationship to experiments on them and on unnecessary killing). Yet here we are now at odds with each others viewing our opposition as duped, mislead, violent, and conspiring to radically change our lives etc. The streaming media giants that we now depend on for information now are seen as having an agenda to misinform and change our views depending on the forces behind the misinformation. 

My picture and quote from Mark Twain reminds me of previous post in which I have described how gullible and mislead we can be, how we have a fast and slow thinking system, the differences from narrative thinking an evolutionary gift which worked better in small groups but causes considerable difficulties in social groups in modern times and rational thinking system requiring accurate data, study to see if the data can be mined for causes, effects, and better understanding etc. Unfortunately, I am anxious that our ability to be fooled is being mass processed with sophisticated manipulation by large companies we use everyday. Oh, Oh! I've gone down the rabbit hole into my conspiracy theory. I'm not Q but maybe I can influence you. Trust me I'm using a google product.

For those who may read this and have other experiences or viewpoints about this subject please comment.

Leonard