Data Security… Internet Access …
For the past two decades, we, the people, have been mined by internet companies for profit. Internet, social media, and telecommunication companies are making money selling and using our information.
They are selling the information to governments, corporations, small businesses, and anyone who is willing to pay, including you.
Let’s call it a revolution of information.
The revolution:
We are not going backward. Half of the planet are internet users, and the other half is on its way. Half of the world population know nothing about the internet or mobile services. The infrastructure for such services doesn’t even exist for those individuals.
Please, keep that in mind.
Should we continue our race to build the next big thing? Or should we invest in uplifting others?
Is access to the internet a human right?
After all, it means access to information. It means empowerment.
Is it global?
The simple answer, yes. However, it is not inclusive. It was not built with everyone in mind. As users and consumers, we have been the lab rats of such products. We are the many mined and turned into algorithms by a handful of individuals.
Is it ethical?
In a recent Stanford University speech, former president, Obama, spoke of tighter regulations to govern internet companies. He pointed out that such companies are operating for the sake of profit; it is their north star.
Politicians are so far behind when it comes to technology, coding, programming, and other technical matters. A CEO of a tech company can slow dance their way through a congress or senate hearing. I don’t think I have an analogy that fits the description but that of a child holding a rock to fight an unmanned militarized drone.
It is that bad. We are the blind led by the blinder.
The internet is a great tool. It has added so much to our lives; it provided convenience, information, better communication, and so much more.
However, it is about time we examine the ways we engage with the internet. It is time to take control of our own information. We must demand better; we must demand transparency and protection.
Codes are racist!
Digital systems are full of hidden and engraved biases. It is not the code’s fault. It is more the person who put together the algorithm based on their own limited knowledge of the world around them.
It takes world experience to understand this one. I don’t expect a kid working on a code out of a garage to understand the full impact of their work on humanity.
Today’s assassin doesn’t need a bullet. Access to information is all it takes to annihilate a character.
