In the interconnected world of the internet, we have the power to share ideas and connect with people faster than ever. But with that power, comes the power for our data to be used against us. In recent times, internet surveillance has gotten to the point that people have come to expect that their every move is being watched.

In the mid-1700s, Jeremy Bentham, an English Philosopher theorized the concept for a new social control mechanism called the Panopticon. The Panopticon is defined as a circular prison with one layer of cells, all with their openings facing the center. In the center there is a tower for a guard to watch out into the cells. The prisoners are always vulnerable, and always able to be watched by the guard inside. However, the tower is so far away and the windows so small that they can never tell if they are being watched. The knowledge that they could be watched constantly changed the prisoners behavior drastically. This is exactly what we have been seeing for over a decade in the online world.

The Panopticon serves as an almost perfect analogy for modern authority, especially on the internet. It’s no secret that we are being watched online, it has come to be a widely accepted fact. For instance, after the revelations about the governments mass surveillance programs by whistle-blower Edward Snowden the world was shaken by just how much information these government intelligence agencies had on its citizens. Investigations were launched, hearings were held, and basic reforms were made, yet the situation remains relatively unchanged. We all know we’re watched, but blow it off as if it’s a basic part of life. Just like the prisoners of the Panopticon, you can never know who’s watching and when they’re watching. There is simply nothing you can do to save your privacy. When it comes to our personal data, we’ve really let down our guard. Your personal information is scattered everywhere, and there is really nothing you can do to pry it out of the hands of companies, hackers, and government agencies. So the best thing to do for now is to take action and speak out for data protection legislation, and being careful who you trust with your information. Just because the guard is in the tower doesn’t mean we can’t put our sheets over the cell door for a bit of privacy.

-Gabe Houts

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