Discussion on Shared Digital Information: A Podcast Exploration
In the podcast Tyranny of Convenience, Christina Colclough delved into the pressing issue of data privacy, digital ethos, and surveillance technology, offering a sharp critical perspective. The discussion, held at Kulturhuset in Oslo on February 11, 2020, was attended by Stina Hassel, NTL country board member, Hans Martin Aase from The Trade Union, and Geir Aasen, Associate Secretary in the EL and IT Union in Norway.
Colclough warned that the convenience offered by digital technologies often comes at a cost, deep infringements on personal privacy. She emphasised that surveillance technologies embedded in everyday devices and platforms are not just neutral tools but actively reshape social behaviours, norms, and even power relations.
The goal of this data collection is to profile individuals and shape the world available to them. Colclough argued that we should not call smart devices "smart," but rather "surveillance" devices due to their data collection capabilities. She was joined in this view by Shoshana Zuboff.
The podcast also highlighted the need to protect human rights, our right to be human, democracies, and more in the digital age. Colclough called for a reevaluation of how technology is designed and regulated to ensure that personal privacy is respected in the digital age rather than sacrificed for convenience.
The discussion further encouraged listeners to be aware of and resist the tyranny of convenience that comes with the use of smart devices. Colclough emphasised the need for individuals and society to become more critically aware of how pervasive surveillance threatens autonomy and democratic values.
The podcast also touched upon the need for critical thinking towards massive surveillance and monitoring, both at work and as citizens. The use of credit cards, social media, and mobile devices creates and gives away data that forms the basis for inferences about individuals, including predictions about purchasing behaviour, employment potential, health status, location, political views, and potential influenceability.
Colclough's speeches in Norway in February 2020 also focused on a journey towards reclaiming rights and collective solutions in the digital world, further emphasising the need for a new digital ethos. The meeting was organised by the Trade Campaign - Network for Fair and Democratic Trade Policy, an alliance of trade unions, farmer organisations, environmental groups, solidarity organisations, and development organisations.
In conclusion, Colclough's discussion serves as a call to action for individuals and societies to be more vigilant about the implications of digital technologies on personal privacy and democratic values, and to demand a shift towards a digital ethos that prioritises respect for personal privacy over convenience.
- The podcast's conversation about surveillance technology and data privacy raised concerns about how health information, lifestyle choices, and even political views could be inferred from the data generated by credit cards, social media, and mobile devices.
- In her speeches, Christina Colclough advocated for a reevaluation of the design and regulation of technology in the digital age, arguing that it should prioritize respect for personal privacy instead of the convenience it often offers.
- The need for critical thinking towards massive surveillance and monitoring was also emphasized, with Colclough pointing out that the erosion of personal privacy and democratic values is a significant threat that warrants attention in the realm of general news, politics, environment, and lifestyle.
