"The Watchful Eye: How Government Surveillance Invades Your Privacy"

Did you know that your every move is being monitored and recorded in some of the most surveilled cities in the world? Take Chongqing, for example, a city with over 2.5 million cameras keeping an eye on its nearly 15 million inhabitants. But wait, it's not even the most monitored city in the world! In fact, China doesn't even make the top 5 list of the most surveilled countries. The honor goes to Malta, Singapore, Germany, the UK, and the US. Your personal data may already be in a government database, waiting to be accessed in the future.

It's a fact: regardless of where you reside in the world, your government has means of monitoring your actions without your knowledge. However, the question of safety arises: how much of this surveillance is truly secure? In my investigation into mass surveillance conducted by both governments and large corporations, I stumbled upon something that may pique your interest. And, if you stick around until the end, I have some tips on how you can evade this newfound reality we face.

In 2001, during the autumn season, President George W. Bush authorised the National Security Agency to initiate a program allowing the government to spy on its citizens without a warrant. Clearly, this was a violation of the law, granting the government unrestricted access to private information on all citizens, regardless of their criminal records. The program was kept confidential for four years until 2005 when the New York Times disclosed its existence to the public. In a state of panic, President Bush and his administration quickly attempted to justify the necessity of such surveillance, citing national security concerns as the primary reason. However, the most intriguing aspect of this saga was yet to unfold.

In 2013, Edward Snowden revealed that the NSA program from eight years prior was far more severe than previously thought. Not only did the American government spy on its citizens, but they also tapped their phones, listened in on conversations, and had access to programs that could activate cameras and microphones for this purpose. Additionally, foreign countries were also subjected to this type of surveillance, with intelligence gathered on foreign nationals through their internet activities. All of this was made possible by the large American tech companies that the entire world has come to rely on, such as Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Microsoft.

If you utilize your mobile phone or computer in any way, you are intricately linked to a network of spies who operate in the shadows, eagerly awaiting the opportunity to access your personal data. This data is frequently given willingly, not just to American tech giants, but also to the NSA. In turn, the NSA shares this data with its allies when it deems necessary.

It has now been nine years since the startling revelation that shook the world, yet what has occurred since then is even more alarming. The National Security Agency (NSA) has now established even larger data centers, and numerous other governments have become less opposed to this type of surveillance. The question remains: what exactly has changed, and what does this mean for the future of the internet as we approach this new world order?

Back in 2016, the FBI pressured Apple to comply with a court order to unlock a customer's iPhone 5 and provide them with information. However, it was later discovered that the FBI had already gained access to the device prior to obtaining the court order, rendering the order unnecessary. While this incident may be overlooked due to the individual being under investigation for a crime, it sets a troubling precedent of treating citizens as guilty until proven innocent. This mentality aligns with the ideology of mass surveillance, which centers around the notion of "what if they are guilty?" The issue with this line of thinking is that it often overlooks the possibility that the individual in question may be innocent, an aspect that law enforcement officials tend to neglect.

Mass surveillance typically involves the widespread monitoring of a population, which systematically infringes upon people's right to privacy and all the other freedoms that privacy affords, such as the right to express oneself and engage in peaceful protest. When you take away an individual's right to speak freely and engage in peaceful demonstration, it leads to a society where the government has complete control over the population.

Nowadays, technology has made our lives easier and more convenient. However, it has also given rise to various forms of mass surveillance. In fact, almost all aspects of our lives are now accessible online, and the government is adept at harvesting and storing this data for various purposes. Many countries worldwide are increasing the number of surveillance cameras installed in urban, suburban, and even rural areas. And when such data is not readily available to the government, they often resort to coercive methods to acquire it.

In July 2021, media reports uncovered that authoritarian governments globally were using the Pegasus phone malware software developed by the NSO Group to spy on journalists, lawyers, and human rights activists. Among the many countries listed as clients of the Israeli firm accused of unauthorised mass surveillance was Bahrain, where the phone malware was allegedly used to hack into devices and gain access to the target's photos, messages, recorded calls, and even activate the phone's camera and microphone.

China's internet filtering and monitoring mechanisms are referred to as the Great Firewall of China. In addition to typical routing regulations that permit the blocking of access to IP addresses or specific domain names, the Great Firewall also utilises deep packet inspection technology on a large scale to scrutinise and obstruct content based on keyword detection. Moreover, the Great Firewall can prevent encrypted connections from being established.

China Unicom, a major internet service provider in China, instantly terminates a connection once it detects encrypted content being transmitted. Gamma, a German company, develops surveillance software for governments globally. During the "End-SARS" protest in 2020, the Nigerian government employed social media monitoring to track its citizens. When it became clear that control was slipping, the government rapidly blocked access to Twitter in the country, rendering it illegal. The Vietnamese government employs computer viruses to monitor the online activities and private data of government policy protesters.

The question arises: why do governments find it necessary to conduct surveillance on their own citizens? The underlying premise of mass surveillance is that all information could potentially be useful in addressing a hypothetical threat. However, upon reflecting on the fundamental values and principles of democratic societies, which aim to restrain the power that comes with possessing information about their citizens, it becomes evident that we are facing a significant problem.

Mass surveillance has been justified on the grounds of combating terrorism, preventing crime and social unrest, safeguarding national security, and controlling the population. However, this justification has the potential to lead to tyranny. Furthermore, with the courts consistently ruling in favor of the government, claiming that mass surveillance causes no harm, it appears that we are heading towards a surveillance state where a select few have complete control over our daily lives.

Surveillance is no longer seen only as a tool for totalitarian regimes, as even democratic governments and corporations have joined in. It is no longer just a means for domination, as governments use it to control and influence populations and businesses use it to gain an advantage over competitors. Companies earn enormous profits from collecting, using, and selling personal data. While the internet has been touted as free to use, the real cost is borne by its users.

The internet's operation is supported by billions of transactions in which advertisements are tailored to individual users based on their detailed profiles of browsing and consumer behaviors. This practice, known as behavioral advertising, is a lucrative industry worth billions of dollars and is essential for companies like Google and Facebook. As a result, it has become almost indispensable to the internet's existence.

These companies have access to such comprehensive personal profiles that they can determine if a customer is pregnant based on their online search history or purchases made at other stores. Additionally, some of these companies engage in surveillance activities for their respective countries, such as Huawei for China. Notably, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook all have connections to the Pentagon and the DOJ.

China's monitoring system extends beyond the great firewall and includes social networks and chat services, with private companies accountable to the Chinese government for network surveillance to prevent the spread of banned messages. To conduct this surveillance, companies hide data-gathering agreements within lengthy privacy policies that users often don't read. This data is then sold, stored, and shared with government agencies, which goes against the intended purpose of privacy protections and is technically illegal if performed by government agencies.

How does this impact you? If you are a journalist in Bahrain, your privacy and human rights are at risk due to active surveillance by the government. In China, the state or Communist Party owns or controls all internet access. In India, the government has the power to tap all communications without a court order or warrant, since the Information Technology Act of 2008 was passed by the Indian Parliament. The government of the Netherlands conducts more secret wiretaps and intercepts than any other country. Singapore has broad laws that allow the government to obtain sensitive data such as text messages, emails, call logs, and web surfing history without requiring court permission.

Surveillance has been part of the public consciousness in the United Kingdom since the 19th century, and today, the vast majority of video surveillance cameras in the UK are operated by private individuals or companies to monitor the interiors of shops and businesses. In the United States, modern surveillance was initially seen as a wartime effort before Edward Snowden revealed in-depth information about the NSA in June 2013.

Although mass surveillance is often justified as a means to protect people, it can have severe consequences. By continuously monitoring individuals, it creates the possibility of unchecked state power and control over people's lives. This can lead to an atmosphere of threat and suspicion, which goes against democratic principles where individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Therefore, there are valid reasons to be concerned about the implications of mass surveillance.

What steps can you take to safeguard your privacy in the digital age? While it may seem difficult to prevent governments and large corporations from obtaining your data without your consent, limiting the amount of personal information you share online and keeping your private life offline may be effective strategies.

Journalists and other activists now have access to increasing numbers of encryption methods to safeguard their communications. If you sense that you are being monitored or in danger, it is always advisable to take the necessary precautions, such as disposing of your devices. The surveillance state is likely to become the new normal, so learning how to live and survive in such a world should be a top priority.

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