The Surveillance Society, By David Von Drehle

A Surveillance Society In the article, The Surveillance Society, by David Von Drehle, talks about the privacy of today’s society. It is said that “Privacy is mostly an illusion.”, because in our world today, there is hardly any privacy left at all. Today’s society is being watched everywhere they go and everything they do along the way. A surveillance society is a society where you are constantly being watched in every step that you do in life. Ranging from text messages to your credit card purchases. The National Security Agency are the ones who collect all the data from their resources. According to a video, Britain Pushes For Mass Surveillance Society, talks about the intense and numerous amounts of cameras watching people in Britain invading
There are, for example, video cameras being put on post lights outside and in front of all the stores. Technology is so advanced that smart TV’s can know what we watch. In addition, you are also being watched through highways from the fast passing lanes and the cameras that look at your vehicle’s license plate. Therefore, those cameras can see your license plate to know where you are at the moment and at what speed you were driving. “Every stop by every traveler is noted and stored by internet service providers like Google, Verizon, and Comcast.” (Drehle, para. 3) Another way that our society is being watched is through our purchases at every store we go. Each purchase that we make is remembered and then examined by retailers. “Until recently, there were hard physical limits on the number of pictures that could be developed, videotapes that could be stored, phone-company records that could be typed or photocopied or packed into boxes- let alone analyzed.” (Drehle, para. 4) There is no longer a limit to how much storage of information can be kept. The advancement of technology can be proven from the amount of storage that was available on the first apparatus to a flash drive now. The first apparatus from 1980 was only able to store more than one gigabyte of data while the flash drives now can hold fifty times the data. Due to all the records of data being stored, that data could be put against you at any
They have about two million CCTV cameras watching over people on everything they do and following them everywhere they go. These people are being recorded at all times and invading their privacy as well. “The government wants to monitor all electronic communication as well including social media taking surveillance to a level never seen before.” The government is advancing technology that an anti-terror spy plan is watching everyone's emails and texts in addition of cameras. All data stored in Britain is only stored in a surveillance operation for a year, so it is not kept forever. “This is the first step towards the government taking control of the internet.” In other words, whatever you type or say or search on your phone is recorded by the government. They will be able to find out when you make a phone call, who that person is on the other side, and your exact location at the time of your call. Finally, all the two million CCTV cameras are not being put to watch everyone for free. Apparently, the people being watched are the ones that are paying for the cameras. “Cyber security experts predict it’ll cost taxpayers over a billion dollars to be spied on.” As a result, the government is making the people pay to be watched even those who do not agree in a surveillance society. In conclusion, a surveillance society is a society that is constantly being watched in everything that they do. The government can