Screen Culture, Part 4 – Privacy

NASA supercomputer, Author NASA Ames Research Center/Tom Trower, Source https://www.nas.nasa.gov (PD)

In this series, we examine the spiritual implications of today’s computer culture. 

“Arguing that you don’t care about the right to privacy because you have nothing to hide is no different than saying you don’t care about free speech because you have nothing to say.”

-Edward Snowden, whistle-blower who leaked confidential NSA information

Data Collection

Cell phones encourage a lack of respect for other people’s boundaries.  But computers are not always so obvious about invading our privacy.

Everything we do on a computer – whether on a laptop, ipad, or cell phone; using a credit card, ATM card, or electronic toll booth pass – produces a transaction record.

Every page with a Facebook “like” button we browse is collecting data, whether we hit the “like” button or not.  The millions of websites running Google ads or using Google analytic software all track information.

Our political leanings, church membership, medical concerns, and sexual interests are recorded and catalogued.

Data to Dollars

Corporations store and search this information about us, turning it into profit.  That we do not observe the conversion of data to dollars does not mean it is not taking place.  We have little or no opportunity to access, modify, dispute, or delete this information.

More than Commodities

God has more intimate knowledge of us than any transaction record ever will reflect.  “O Lord, You have searched me and known me.  You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off” (Ps. 139: 1-2).

To God, however, we are more than mere commodities.  “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3).

This series concludes next week with Part 5 – The Surveillance State

READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse https://avoicereclaimed.com