Our Surveillance Culture and the Erosion of Freedom and Privacy | CultureWatch

Our Surveillance Culture and the Erosion of Freedom and Privacy

New developments are putting us all at risk:

We live in an age in which the surveillance state is greatly expanding, while personal freedoms and privacy are greatly decreasing. And I am speaking here about the West and not some totalitarian state. Things have moved rapidly in this regard over recent years, and the trends look set to continue.

There are various responses one can have to the increasing war on our personal privacy and security. Below I will look at one wrong reaction to this. But first a bit more on the problem and its seriousness. We must face the reality that more and more of our lives are being put under surveillance of different forms, and more and more of what we do – and even say – is now being recorded, stored and assessed.

The cashless society is one obvious case in point. Every transaction we make is being recorded and tabulated somewhere, be it just on a bank statement, or by corporate giants, or by the new big tech companies. And calls of digital IDs and the like simply offer more of the same: all our moves and activities are being tracked by big government or big business.

We already know how modern technology is tracing our every move and recalling our every online activity. With the ever-growing world of AI in general, and things like Siri and Alexa in particular, we now are being monitored and surveilled 24/7.

Many have experienced being on the social media, and finding an ad pop up out of nowhere which specifically has to do with some product or service you were just talking about or looking into. Just the other day I shared this on the social media:

“Now this is scary: I just had a shower then clipped my nails. Hopping back on to FB, one of the first things I see is an ad for nail clippers! What – does FB now have drones in my shower? Do clipper companies have secret cameras installed in my bathroom? Spook city!”

Others asked me if I was speaking while doing this, or had my phone nearby. I said ‘nope’ to each. I was outside while doing the clipping! However, my dog was with me, so perhaps she is the one who snitched on me! Humour aside, you know what I am talking about.

And of course some folks do not mind this much at all. After all, in so many ways it is all about convenience. To swipe a plastic card when paying for something or swipe a mobile phone to do the same is very quick and easy – and convenient. In a busy world we all like convenience.

Moreover, some aspects of surveillance seem necessary in the fight against crime and criminals. There can be a place for security cameras and the like, and basic forms of identification. Not all such things are necessarily wrong in themselves.

But is all this coming with a price? Obviously our privacy is eroding fast. Obviously who we are, what we like, what we buy, what products we prefer, what services we make use of, and where we go is now all being tracked and recorded, with all this information being stored somewhere.

During the covid days I penned plenty of pieces on this, discussing the erosion of freedom and privacy that we all endured. Consider just one article: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2023/04/17/covid-tyranny-and-ccp-fascism-compare-the-pair/

Also, I have already written about things like a digital ID: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2024/09/24/big-brother-and-digital-id/

And the dangers of a cashless society: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2024/04/09/say-no-to-a-cashless-society/

And the tyranny of social credit systems: https://billmuehlenberg.com/2023/03/31/the-surveillance-state-tiktok-and-the-ccp/

‘But I am doing nothing wrong, so I don’t have to worry about this’

This is a common response being made by many. Some folks think they are breaking no laws and doing nothing amiss, so why should they worry if businesses and governments and others know more and more about them and what they do?  But they are missing the point, and this is risky thinking for various reasons.

We have already been warned, not just in dystopian novels like Brave New World and 1984 just how dangerous and diabolical such worlds can be, but we have real-life examples right now, certainly in places like Communist China with its social credit system. So even if all this seems OK for now, we are dreaming if we think it will stay that way.

And we already know it is not safe right now. The covid wars should have taught us all that. Our every move was being monitored and tracked. Our medical history especially had to be known and directed to where the state wanted it to be. No vax for example meant no visits to most shops, businesses, hospitals, schools and the like. The important medical ethics of bodily autonomy and no compulsion in medical treatment and the like were quickly trashed.

Even if you think you are some fine, upstanding citizen that would never run afoul of the law and the state, you are still dreaming. Just as the state determined that an unvaxed person or an unmasked person walking alone on a beach was a threat that had to be harshly dealt with a few years ago, tomorrow they might decide that things like reading the Bible or praying are threats to society.

Indeed, we did see churches closed big time a few years ago, all in the ‘public interest.’ If the state can decree that the public worship of the living God is verboten, it can decree anything. And when that happens, it will be too late. We can all be turned into criminals overnight if the all-powerful state decides that we need to be re-educated and reformed into ‘acceptable citizens’ that it prefers.

We are already seeing a plethora of ‘hate crimes’ and ‘thought crimes’. The state increasingly decides what is good speak and bad speak, good thought and bad thought. Radical activist agendas like the trans revolution are being forced down our throats, and those who do not fully comply are being punished by the state.

The new bill passed in Australia, the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill 2004, is another example of this invasion of our privacy, done in theory to protect children. Also referred to as the ‘Digital Duty of Care’ Bill, one concerned writer concluded an article on the chilling effects of this law with these words:

Finally, the platform is also forced to provide activist research organisations with access to their commercial data in real-time (s28M(1)) and to cough up any document the Commissioner requests within 14 days (194A(2)). Couldn’t imagine this access being used for political purposes. This legislation is perfectly aimed at shutting down free speech platforms like X, and the Government can quite easily make the obligations practicably impossible to comply with. Please let people know that the Misinformation Bill has a new name — The Digital Duty of Care Bill. https://dailydeclaration.org.au/2024/12/06/misinformation-bill-returns/

So not just individuals who are considered to be a danger to the state, but various platforms and organisations where free discussion occurs can also be targeted and penalised, if not shut down altogether. Anyone concerned about freedom and the importance of basic privacy should resist all these moves.

As mentioned, we all like efficiency and convenience, but there are always costs involved with this, be it with the cashless society, or with the state entering into every aspect of our lives. It does not matter how ‘good’ or law-abiding you may think you are as a citizen today.

Tomorrow the state can decide that you are a lawbreaker and a threat to the system. All these now technologies, policies and laws will simply make it so much easier for the state to keep its eyes on you, and negatively deal with you if it thinks you are getting out of line.

The bottom line is this: we ALL should be concerned about the growth of big government, big tech, and big business as they increasingly work together to erode our basic freedoms, and to radically whittle away at our own privacy. Thinking that you are a good person so are exempt from all this and have nothing to fear is naive and reckless. We are all at risk.

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The post Our Surveillance Culture and the Erosion of Freedom and Privacy appeared first on CultureWatch.

Massive PRC Hack Targets Political Figures, Including Trump | The Gateway Pundit

Massive PRC Hack Targets Political Figures, Including Trump

Photo courtesy of the Select Committee on the CCP

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has been relentless in its cyberattacks, trade manipulation, and war threats against the U.S.. Yet, many Americans still hesitate to recognize China as the enemy it truly is. While the majority of Americans hold a negative opinion of China, only 40% identify it as an enemy. This perspective needs to change.

Unlike allies such as the UK and Canada, which neither cyberattack nor threaten the U.S., China consistently engages in aggressive and harmful actions. It is time for Americans to realign their understanding of China’s intentions and push the administration to adopt policies that reflect this reality. Failure to act decisively will allow China to win.

The PRC has been linked to one of the largest cyber espionage incidents in history. According to a recent report by the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), actors affiliated with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have conducted a widespread espionage campaign targeting U.S. telecommunications networks.

The breaches infiltrated eight U.S. telecom companies and impacted dozens of other countries over a period of at least two years. This operation, labeled “Salt Typhoon,” compromised private communications and customer call records, primarily targeting government and political figures, including President Trump. Additionally, the hackers copied information that had been requested by U.S. law enforcement through court orders, and the breach may have also accessed the communications of everyday Americans. Despite ongoing efforts to address the attack, the breaches remain active in U.S. telecom networks.

Deputy National Security Adviser Anne Neuberger emphasized the need for U.S. companies to address cybersecurity gaps to prevent further Chinese access. The administration has formed a unified coordination group to respond to the hack and has been working closely with telecom CEOs and cybersecurity experts to strengthen defenses. Although classified communications appear to be unaffected, the risk of additional breaches remains high.

The incident highlights China’s continued cyberespionage efforts, with similar campaigns previously targeting Europe and the Indo-Pacific. In response, agencies, including CISA, the NSA, and international partners, have released guidance to bolster communication infrastructure security.

Chinese hackers have been implicated in a long history of cyberattacks targeting U.S. government entities, critical infrastructure, and private companies. Recent breaches in U.S. telecommunications providers underscore China’s evolving cyber strategy, which has shifted from espionage to preparing for potentially disruptive or destructive attacks, particularly in the event of a crisis over Taiwan.

CISA Director Jen Easterly highlighted that Chinese cyber campaigns initially focused on stealing intellectual property and spying on government agencies, have intensified over the decades. Notable attacks include the 2009 breach of Lockheed Martin’s Joint Strike Fighter Program and Operation Aurora, which targeted major U.S. companies like Google and Morgan Stanley.

More recently, China has been found embedding itself in critical infrastructure, such as pipelines, water systems, and transportation networks, with the capability to launch attacks designed to incite societal panic and disrupt U.S. military operations.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has proposed new cybersecurity regulations for U.S. telecommunications companies in response to the “Salt Typhoon” attacks. Under the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) the FCC has the authority to mandate annual cybersecurity risk management certifications from telecom providers. Companies failing to meet cybersecurity standards could face fines or criminal penalties.

The plan has enjoyed bipartisan support at the FCC, including from incoming Chairman Brendan Carr, a vocal critic of China’s influence. The proposed measures aim to address gaps in voluntary cybersecurity efforts, which have proven insufficient against increasing threats from Chinese hackers.

One of the main reasons the U.S. has been unable to stop Chinese hacking is that it does not officially regard China as an enemy. Instead of cutting off China’s access to U.S. markets and technology, the Biden administration has repeatedly pursued a variety of failed Band-Aid solutions. It shouldn’t take more than one of the major breaches mentioned in this article for the U.S. to wake up to the reality that China is an enemy and that friendly relations with a country that wishes you harm are impossible.

Experts warn that China’s hacking activities are part of a broader geopolitical strategy aimed at undermining U.S. resilience in the event of conflict, particularly in the Taiwan Strait. Taiwan, as the world’s largest semiconductor producer, is a key target for Chinese cyber espionage.

Xi Jinping has set milestones for China in 2027, 2035, and 2049, by which he aims to position China as the world’s dominant political, military, and economic power, with the capture of Taiwan as a critical goal. Hacking allows China to accelerate its timeline by stealing U.S. technology, gaining technological and economic advantages over the United States.

The post Massive PRC Hack Targets Political Figures, Including Trump appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.