They are watching

My wife was watching a television show the other day about the FBI. It seems a Russian network was learning about American people and their (lack of) conviction about an election, and an algorithm could have been written that might influence the next election. It sounded all too familiar; it sounded like fiction was copying reality or the other way around.

Then today I heard a report about more invasions of privacy as Google (oh, no, now they are going to target me!) has its ears in everyone's business. How do they do that? Your phone is always 'on' and that's why "Hey, Google" or "Hey, Siri" works so well. Alexis' eavesdropping and thus availability is both pleasant and fearful at the same time.

Maybe George Orwell was right. 1984 is a long time ago now, but how close was he?

Maybe DJ Jones was right.  I read the sci-fi novel Colossus for high school probably in 1968 or so. Here's what Wiki has to say about that book:

"The story is set in the late 20th century from Chapter 3, and narrowed down to the 1990s in Chapter 10. Professor Charles Forbin, a leading cybernetics expert of international repute, arrives at the White House to brief the President of the United States of North America (Canada and the United States are one country, the USNA) to announce the completion of Project Colossus, a computer system in the Rocky Mountains, designed to assume control of the USNA's nuclear arsenal. Although the USNA President eagerly relieves himself of that burden, Prof. Forbin voices doubt about conferring absolute military power to a computer. Advised, yet undeterred, the President announces to the world the activation of the Project Colossus computer system, and its irreversible control of the nuclear defense systems of the USNA.

Soon after the presidential announcement, Colossus independently communicates an "urgent message" – announcing the existence of a similar, previously undetected, computer system in the USSR. When the Soviets announce their Guardian computer defense system, Colossus requests direct communication with it. Prof. Forbin agrees, seeing the request as compatible with Colossus's USNA defense mission. Likewise, Guardian asks the same of his computer scientists. Russia and the USNA agree and approve."

Maybe that movie with Sandra Bullock from the early 1990s ("The Net") was more accurate than we care to admit.

Look, the reality is that they are watching us. They know what we buy in the grocery. They know that we are discussing flights to Fiji or the cost of flour at the Coles food store. They know when we drove through that speed camera and registered our license plate and our speed and can onsell the information to the highest bidder.

And they are selling that information.

That's why all of a sudden on my Facebook when I'm looking to update my status, there are advertisements for Coles' flour and a flight to Fiji. That's why I get notifications about any number of products, even if I haven't ever bought one before.

We are being watched.

Now I know to many people that's a bit offputting. They think they can be alone. They think they are going to use cash, and avoid the awareness of the big banks, the insurers, the government. But that horse has already bolted. THEY already know pretty much everything about you.

And they are profiting from this information.

What can you do? Turn off your television (which probably has a camera as well so that you can be watched all the time)? Turn off your computer? Move to the bush? Nope. Let me recommend that you relax and ponder this.

“For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His."  2Chr. 16:9     and again

"The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous 

And His ears are open to their cry."     Psa. 34:15    

We are being watched. Big Brother, The Net, Colossus or the FBI.

Let's let the Lord see all we are, and all we are doing. And as long as He knows what's what; no matter who else knows stuff; we are going to be fine.  Do you agree?