Yesterday I learned that my insurance carrier is offering me a 5% to 30% discount on the coverage for my cars if I install, for three months, a device that tracks my every move and delivers it to them. My phone, when in use, tells me (and who knows who else) where and how far I’ve walked. Almost every major highway intersection now has video cameras to track and record the movements of vehicles. What we choose to watch on the computer and what we buy online determines what advertisements show up the next time we turn on the device. Even our electrical service meters and the appliances inside our “Smart” home can become a part of this vast network. All this information becomes part of a permanent record of our behavior that the tech giants and our government can mine for metadata.

The convenience of these devices makes them ubiquitous. We love to share the latest funny video from YouTube. Our children are mesmerized if not completely addicted to their phones, sacrificing their youth to disillusionment, inadequacy, and social isolation. I can call anybody, anytime, from almost anywhere, disturbing their peace and mine. What does this do to our future? Are we experiencing richer, more rewarding lives by watching streaming tv while walking in the park?

Now we are facing the eventual deployment of more sophisticated communications networks that will exponentially increase our exposure to these untested technologies. 5G is a long way off, particularly in our small town, but it is of critical importance to immediately question how much we want to continue our path into the Matrix. Mr. Mason’s Perspectives piece in last week’s Leader is on point with his appeal. We must also insist on having total personal control of all our data, and to have any and all personal data removed permanently and easily from any entity. And we must be able to drop out completely. Join us; do your research, get involved, lead your youngsters by example and stand up against the creep of Big Brother into our lives.

Sebastian Eggert
Port Townsend