Today, information technology occupies an important place in the life of society and each individual person, acting as the main means of communication and communication.
While most human information activities are carried out through the World Wide Web, which has expanded the ability to communicate and receive information, state law enforcement agencies are increasingly interested in controlling and accessing this information.
Human Tracking Program
Mass monitoring of the network and information activity of the population is justified by the need to prevent possible crimes. However, in a society based on democratic rights and freedoms, a person’s private life should not become an object of potential threats.
Information technology, in particular the Internet and devices that allow you to be online all the time, forever changed interpersonal communication and the ways of searching and perceiving information.
Modern communication is beyond time and geographic restrictions, as is the data stream available to every user on the network. The more actions are performed with the help of new technologies, the more personal information is available to third parties.
Today, concepts such as ubiquitous human tracking and total control are no longer part of science fiction or conspiracy theories. The 21st century is a time when spies do not hide around the corner, but sit at the computer.
Under the hood
As the social and professional activities of an increasing number of people depend on modern information technologies, it is not surprising that an increasing number of crimes are also committed with their help. This increases the interest of special services and law enforcement agencies in the possibilities of controlling and verifying information exchange.
Unlike the 80s or even 90s of the XX century, tracking a person through a telephone today means more than access to negotiations. And computer verification has gone from individual to mass for several years.
The concept of "mass surveillance" is that there is a widespread and constant control of the information exchange of the whole society in order to prevent possible crimes.
While individual surveillance of a person takes place during the investigation of a crime or in the case of reasonable suspicion of criminal activity, the mass keeps the entire population of individual countries and the whole world “under the hood”.
Predictive Algorithms
The “cap” is due to the ability to predict the likely criminal behavior of an individual or group of persons by analyzing the collected digital data. The analysis is based on algorithms for predicting human behavior.
Sounds like a plot of a familiar movie? But not everything is so fantastic and prohibitive. Today, not only the algorithms themselves are created and improved, but also the technologies for their application - a much larger amount of data can be processed faster and with greater accuracy.
On the one hand, the ability to process a huge amount of information, detecting illegal actions and criminal inclinations, practically guarantees an increase in the level of security, higher detection of crimes and even their prevention.
On the other hand, mass surveillance of a person through a computer provides such a huge amount of data for processing that no one can guarantee the accuracy and adequacy of predictive algorithms in real time. Therefore, to ensure adequate analysis, all data, including personal data, is stored and is in limited access.
No wonder they say: everything that was once posted on the Internet is saved forever.
Storage and access to personal data
Unlimited storage and access to personal information has been repeatedly discussed at forums and conferences dedicated to security and the fight against crime and terrorism.
Repeated abuse of authority using data for their own purposes, hacks into information storage systems showed that no one is safe from cybercrime and the manipulation of personal data.
None of the pre-existing information systems, such as mail, telegraph, telephone and video surveillance, had the potential of total public control. With the advent of the Internet and instant data exchange, it became possible to track not only communications, but also their contents.
This means that every sent e-mail, a watched video and a search page request are not only saved forever, but can also be found, tracked and linked to a person.
The existence of such an opportunity in itself violates the right to privacy. If a person is beyond suspicion and does not commit any criminal and illegal actions, why save his personal data and personal information? Once you buy a product online and pay with a credit card, this information will be saved and will be linked forever to the person who made the purchase.
Perhaps this is convenient - leaving the data once, you do not need to enter it again, in addition, the system offers similar products, tracking already completed purchases, site visits, social activity and even search queries. But one wonders if this is fraught with consequences. And the consequences are not only psychological manipulation using the same behavioral algorithms, but also the vulnerability of private life and property.
Technologies and legislation
In the modern world, new technologies are developing much faster than new laws, and, as a result, society is faced with a dilemma when old legislation covers a completely different system of committing crimes.
Those laws that decades ago provided for the use of telephones to track suspects, and the negotiations obtained to investigate crimes, today are not able to clearly and clearly separate the necessary control from the invasion of other people's privacy.
Phone tracking has long ceased to be limited to negotiations. Today, smartphones are constantly connected to the Internet, track movement and are even equipped with the ability to remotely turn on or off.
And this is just a modern phone! What niche in today's legislation is occupied by powerful portable computers, tablets and even music players with Internet access?
Until the legislation keeps pace with technology and is not able to ensure the security of personal data, everyone will feel vulnerable.
findings
Surveillance of a person or group of people on the basis of reasonable suspicions is permissible and justified by necessity, however, massive control over the company and the preservation of personal data with the possibility of access to third parties cannot be justified by any good purpose and is contrary to democratic values.
That is why the storage of personal data and other information of a private nature should be clearly and strictly regulated by law and be subject to mandatory time restrictions.