Mass surveillance is a word that has been thrown around every so often in the last few decades, especially ever since George Orwell’s book Nineteen Eighty-Four. Although this book was released over 60 years ago, some aspects of the book are seeming to become true in the United States, and other parts of the world today. The idea of mass surveillance isn’t so taboo anymore, as there are several programs ran by sovereign countries around the world which monitor their domestic citizens, as well as citizens and leaders of other foreign countries. With all of our technological communication advances since 1949, this age of information is only going to get more severe, and more tracking and monitoring will be done. The biggest offender of doing this is the NSA, shortened for National Security Agency. The NSA is an organization that was made by the US Government to monitor intelligence, and collect, translate and decode information. What’s important about the NSA, is that this most recent summer, a program named PRISM was revealed by a whistleblower, and in summary, PRISM monitors everything it can, including our own citizens in the United States. This “scandal” had a lot of air time for many months, and is still in the news today. The revelation of what the NSA is doing behind our backs is what made the basis of this essay, and made me think of how similar this entire situation is to Nineteen Eighty-Four. Nineteen Eighty-Four is a novel which was released in 1949, and has had massive success, reaching best-sellers list on popular websites like Amazon, among others. Nineteen Eighty-Four is considered a classic among many of those same websites (Amazon, 2013), and although George Orwell may not have received many awards for it, Nineteen... ... middle of paper ... ...rong and resists their demands. Finally, Winston is taken to “Room 101,” where he is made to face his worst fear to try and break his spirits. O’Brien puts a cage full of Winston’s worst nightmare on his head; rats. Right when the rats are about to eat his face, he yells, “Do it to Julia!,” effectively betraying her and giving up his love for her. Winston eventually encounters Julia in a park, and finds out that she betrayed him too. Though all of his torture and brainwashing, Winston now loves “Big Brother,” and admires and accepts the party entirely. Works Cited "Best Sellers in Classic Literature & Fiction." Amazon. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Dec. 2013. . Copy & Paste | Parenthetical "dystopia." The Free Dictionary. Farlex, n.d. Web. 9 Dec. 2013. .
The novel, 1984, written by George Orwell, gives readers an insight to a possible frightening future where one government has complete and definite control of the people. But “control” might not be the term to describe such a rule. The Party dominates every aspect of life. There is not a single thing that is not under the Party’s rule. Feelings, history, language, statistics, and even human nature are submissive to the Party. They corrupt the mind so much that there is no longer a line that separates truth from a lie. Slogans are repeated through telescreens on a daily basis so the people are gradually forced to believe in illogical statements. Upon first glance, it may seem that a 1984 society is not even imaginable in the world we live in currently. But is it really logical to make such an assumption so quickly? Do we know that what we see on the news and read in our history textbooks is completely accurate? The Internet is one of the most powerful technologies our world has, consisting of an insurmountable amount of information, which is not always what it seems. Ultimately, there are so many things that we do not know, some of which is being held a secret from us. Modern day society shockingly has evidence of a transformation into a menacing 1984 society because of similar government actions and abuse of advanced technology.
Today’s modern world may not be exactly like 1984, but there are some issues that are very similar to it. Some of the biggest issues that is becoming compromised today is the issue of privacy, which in the book 1984 was something that the people did not have much of because of things like telescreens. Not only is our privacy compromised but the government is also being too controlling. Ways today’s privacy is being compromised are through things like game consoles, phones, social media, and drones and not only is our being compromised through these things but the government is also gaining too much control by compromising our privacy.
1984, a novel by George Orwell, represents a dystopian society in which the people of Oceania are surveilled by the government almost all the time and have no freedoms. Today, citizens of the United States and other countries are watched in a similar way. Though different technological and personal ways of keeping watch on society than 1984, today’s government is also able to monitor most aspects of the people’s life. 1984 might be a dystopian society, but today’s condition seems to be moving towards that controlling state, where the citizens are surveilled by the government at all times.
When George Orwell’s epic novel 1984 was published in 1949 it opened the public’s imagination to a future world where privacy and freedom had no meaning. The year 1984 has come and gone and we generally believe ourselves to still live in “The Land of the Free;” however, as we now move into the 21st Century changes brought about by recent advances in technology have changed the way we live forever. Although these new developments have seamed to make everyday life more enjoyable, we must be cautious of the dangers that lie behind them for it is very possible that we are in fact living in a world more similar to that of 1984 than we would like to imagine.
Edward Snowden is America’s most recent controversial figure. People can’t decide if he is their hero or traitor. Nevertheless, his leaks on the U.S. government surveillance program, PRISM, demand an explanation. Many American citizens have been enraged by the thought of the government tracing their telecommunication systems. According to factbrowser.com 54% of internet users would rather have more online privacy, even at the risk of security (Facts Tagged with Privacy). They say it is an infringement on their privacy rights of the constitution. However, some of them don’t mind; they believe it will help thwart the acts of terrorists. Both sides make a good point, but the inevitable future is one where the government is adapting as technology is changing. In order for us to continue living in the new digital decade, we must accept the government’s ability to surveil us.
In early June 2013, Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old former defense contractor who had access to NSA database while working for an intelligence consulting company, leaked classified documents reports that the National Security Agency (NSA) is recording phone calls of millions of Americans along with gathering private data and spying foreign Internet activity. The Washington Post later broke the news disclosed PRISM, a program can collect data on Internet users. The leaked documents publicly stated a vast objection. Many people were shocked by the scale of the programs, even elected representatives were unaware of the surveillance range. A nationwide debate over privacy rights have been sparked. Although supporters claim that the NSA only does its best to protect the United States from terrorists as well as respecting Americans' rights and privacy, many civil rights advocates feel that the government failed to be clear about the limit of the surveillance programs, threatening Americans' civil...
Magill, Frank N. Ed. “Nineteen Eighty-Four” Masterpieces of World Literature. New York NY: Harper Collins Publishers, 1989. 582-585. Orwell, George.
Winston is taken to Room 101, a room where anyone who goes against the Party is taken to face their biggest fear. Winston’s just so happens to be rats. After O’Brien places a cage full of rats on Winston’s head, he pleads for O’Brien to do this to Julia instead. This is what O’Brien wanted, Winston to give up Julia. It shows that Winston’s spirit is broken. At the end of this story, Winston is released into the outside world and meets Julia again, but feels nothing for her. He has learned to love Big Brother and accept the Party completely.
Nineteen Eighty-Four was written in the past, yet seems to show very interesting parallels to some of today’s societies. Orwell explains many issues prominent throughout the book in which his main characters attempt to overcome. He shows how surveillance can easily corrupt those in control and how those in control become corrupt by the amount of power. Those with power control the society and overpower all those below. The novel shows what could potentially happen to our current society if power ends up leading to corruption.
Upon my reading of the novel 1984, I was fascinated by George Orwell’s vision of the future. Orwell describes a world so extreme that a question comes to mind, asking what would encourage him to write such a novel. 1984 took place in the future, but it seemed like it was happening in the past. George Orwell was born in 1903 and died in 1950; he has seen the horrific tides of World War ² and Ï. As I got deeper into this novel I began to see similar events of world history built into 1984.
Is Big Brother watching you? Who is to say for sure and to what extent; although in present day, the potential existence of Big Brother, as showed in George Orwell's 1984, brings across a truly unforgettable and thought provoking moral and mystery puzzle. In today's society, citizens around the world struggle to understand and come to terms with the reality of 1984's real-world effects. Overall, I believe that the idea of government officials monitoring its citizens' movements and conversations without probable cause frightens people the most; it is certainly what concerns me. While I do worry about how we are being monitored; I am more concerned with the idea of being examined at all. This concern is understandable considering that the United States of America is probably the most "free" country in the world, but with the coming of the technology boom, combined with acts of terrorism on domestic soil, as so many people are asking today, is the possibility of Big Brother's invasion present in today's society? Just how far does "his" reach extend? The thinking that this country was founded upon; life, freedom and the pursuit of happiness, are slowly being taken back, though mostly with no obvious notification to our country's citizens. Is the United States government being truthful regarding privacy issues? If we suspect an invasion of our privacy, would it seem logical that this invasion reaches far beyond our suspicions? These thoughts definitely fuel the fire in the guess that is arising regarding our society's change into 1984.
It's the stuff that spy novels are made of and calls to mind popular authors such as Ian Flemming, John LeCarre’, and Tom Clancy. Recent news articles about the National Security Agency’s (NSA) electronic surveillance data-mining programs targeting US citizens are so far-fetched they read like good espionage thrillers. Unfortunately, these recent reports seem to be true based upon information from several whistleblowers including William Binney, Russell Tice and Edward Snowden. These brave individuals, who stepped forward risking their reputations, careers and personal safety, revealed that the NSA has engaged in wiretapping, monitoring, and recording phone calls, emails, text messages, and social media of US citizens. The United States government has been abridging citizens' rights to privacy and violating the fourth amendment of the constitution through these types of covert operations.
Domestic Surveillance Citizens feeling protected in their own nation is a crucial factor for the development and advancement of that nation. The United States’ government has been able to provide this service for a small tax and for the most part it is money well spent. Due to events leading up to the terrifying attacks on September 11, 2001 and following these attacks, the Unites States’ government has begun enacting certain laws and regulations that ensure the safety of its citizens. From the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) of 1978 to the most recent National Security Agency scandal, the government has attempted and for the most part succeeded in keeping domestic safety under control. Making sure that the balance between obtaining enough intelligence to protect the safety of the nation and the preservation of basic human rights is not extremely skewed, Congress has set forth requisites in FISA which aim to balance the conflicting goals of privacy and security; but the timeline preceding this act has been anything but honorable for the United States government.
Most people concerned about the privacy implications of government surveillance aren’t arguing for no[sic] surveillance and absolute privacy. They’d be fine giving up some privacy as long as appropriate controls, limitations, oversight and accountability mechanisms were in place. ”(“5 Myths about Privacy”). The fight for privacy rights is by no means a recent conflict.
It has become common today to dismiss the overall theme of movies and books, such as V for Vendetta and Fahrenheit 451. Americans today tend to believe that they do not live in a dictated society. Conversely, not many recognize the bits and pieces of a controlled society. For instance, Americans are surveillanced more than one would suspect. In a recent article called ‘Edward Snowden: The World Says No to Surveillance’, Edward Snowden states, “MOSCOW — TWO years ago today, three journalists and I worked nervously in a Hong Kong hotel room, waiting to see how the world would react to the revelation that the National Security Agency had been making records of nearly every phone call in the United States.” In making this comment, Snowden argues that American citizens are not aware of the amount of surveillance that is brought upon themselves. How many Americans believe that they are being surveillanced while talking on the phone? Admittedly, not many question it. Americans have succumbed to the idea that this democratic government implies freedom, even though private phone conversations are being tapped into. An example worth looking at