25 Years On, Has Big Brother Finally Arrived?

The term ‘big brother’ was coined by author George Orwell, in the year 1949, before this author was born, and certainly well before the majority of the crowd that this entry might affect.

from online-literature.com

1984 is possibly the definitive dystopian novel, set in a world beyond our imagining. A world where totalitarianism really is total, all power split into three roughly equal groups–Eastasia, Eurasia, and Oceania. 1984 is set in Oceania, which includes the United Kingdom, where the story is set, known as Airstrip One.

Winston Smith is a middle-aged, unhealthy character, based loosely on Orwell’s own frail body, an underling of the ruling oligarchy, The Party. The Party has taken early 20th century totalitarianism to new depths, with each person subjected to 24 hour surveillance, where people’s very thoughts are controlled to ensure purity of the oligarchical system in place. Figurehead of the system is the omnipresent and omnipotent Big Brother.

That is a rather bleak picture, and though we have heard cautions about the encroachment of the government, and pseudo-governmental agencies upon every aspect of our daily lives, and the cries that very little of our existence is truly private, the actuality of it may be upon us.  Well, some of us.

The sad thing about it is that the tool being used, is one that was originally presented as a way to enrich our lives, and increase the ease with which we perform necessary duties through the day. It is, in at least one circumstance, fully prescribed by our government. Millions of users are legislatively encouraged to use it everyday, while making the daily transit to an from their work.

But what happens when that that we use is turned against us, sometimes without our full knowledge? Such is the case in Belgium, and possibly other places around the globe.

from blorge

Planning to attend the Rock Werchter music festival in Belgium this weekend? You may want to disable Bluetooth on your phone unless you want your movements tracked all over the festival site.

According to a report from Reuters, researchers from the University of Ghent in Belgium have installed 36 Bluetooth receivers around the festival grounds, as well as additional units along the roads and at bus stops, to track the movements of concert attendees.  While the research team assures the public that no personal data is being collected, it still feels just a little too much like something out of George Orwell’s tale of a society watched over by “Big Brother”, 1984.

Bluetooth has become a common feature in many cellular phones as people use it to connect wireless headsets to their phones.  While there have been some experiments over the years with advertising placements that could transmit data to your phone when you stood in front of the ad, this is the first time that we have heard of it being used to track your movements around a given location.  In this particular experiment, the scanners are tracking a phone’s Media Access Control address (MAC address), which can not be traced back to a phone number or personal data, so no actual information is being exchanged beyond ‘this MAC address has now entered the falafel tent.”

As to why anyone would want to use this technology, Nico Van de Weghe, a member of the University of Ghent’s research team, explained to Reuters that, ”Tracking movements via Bluetooth could become very interesting. It could help retailers keep track of the number of customers numbers at different times.”  It apparently also could be used by security teams to track suspicious movements, as well as by event organizers in case of an emergency evacuation.

The only flaw I see with this entire concept, beyond the creepy factor, is that not everyone leaves their Bluetooth receiver on at all times.  It is a well-known way to drain your cell phone’s battery faster, so most people leave them off a good portion of the time.  What if someone the researchers have been tracking all day decides to turn off their Bluetooth or their phone in the middle of the day?  Will they think the person left the site leading to skewed data on the number of attendees?  It just doesn’t seem like a very effective way of tracking people as it is completely voluntary and dependent on the mood of the participant.

Perhaps not fully effective, but it will certainly be acceptable until the chip implants, so common in our pets, are introduced to the public, as a protective mechanism. After all, most people know that the geolocation available with current cell phone technology can cut both ways, helping us be located, whether that is our desire or not.

Should we worry? Probably not yet, but it pays to be fully aware of all the possibilities available in the technology we own, and how it can be used as easily against us, as for us.  1984 and Enemy of the State are just movies, but how many other things have we observed in our lifetime, that came into being, both good and bad, predicted by someone’s thoughts in a book, a short story, or a film?

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