Tuesday, July 29, 2008

A Brave New World

One of the beautiful things about increased computer power and bandwidth is the development of new apps and the ease by which one can add new technology for fun, life and business. One of the bad things is that others (hackers, companies and government) can know what you are doing. Your applications can be monitored without your knowledge or permission, with others knowing where you are and what you are doing in real time.

In time will purchased applications be removed or edited without your permission? Will newspapers, books and video be edited without your knowledge? The keeper of this knowledge (the company from which you download the information – and the government which has over site) can alter this data at whim. Without real care we can create a 1984 dystopian society.

I am very positive about the future of technology but we must take care to make certain that we keep our privacy, that the concept of people being “secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures” applies to on-line data as implied in the 4th Amendment. Computer companies (Microsoft, Apple) are now having their devices call “home” to detect piracy and malware. While I completely approve of this we must keep in mind potential problems that may come in the not too distant future.

No comments:

Post a Comment