Micheal Matheson Miller came to speak at OSU over big tech surveillance and the effects it has on its users. Companies such as Facebook and Google are mentioned as the main proponents of surveillance. These types of companies collect, store, and sell your data typically without the user's knowledge. This is a huge invasion of privacy that is somehow legal. These companies also use their platforms to become addictive and manipulative. Miller uses Pavlov as a companion to today's smartphones. Notifications, like the bell, can alter our moods in an instant. Companies are currently conditioning their consumers to use their products more and more, whether it be apple using its devices, or Instagram giving constant notifications. People are now conditioned and dependent on their smartphones and social media. He also mentions various studies about how the excessive use of smartphones and social media affects our mental health. Studies reported noted that social media can cause depression, anxiety, loneliness, etc. Social media not only changes our emotions but on various platforms changes how we act. Miller speaks on how people who may be cordial in your typical everyday conversation, change how they speak on social media to typically speak much brasher and bold. Finally, an important note that Miller mentions is that even if you have “nothing to hide” does not mean you don't want privacy. This is something I had not thought of when it came to surveillance. My view had always been that of the mainstream where I knew I had nothing illegal on my devices so why care if my data is collected. However, I definitely agree that people wish to keep parts of their lives private, which has nothing to do with legality.
During Millers' presentation, he does not mention much of the government's involvement if mentioned at all. The government's role in surveillance is a key reason why big tech companies are able to collect your data. In my opinion, the reason the government has passed little, if any, any laws that would limit companies is that they would lose the support they receive from said companies, but also because, the government works with them to collect data themselves. The NSA since the early 2010s has been notorious for breaching the privacy of American citizens through monitoring devices. Overall, I find that in order for citizens to get the privacy they deserve it must be done as Miller mentions. Rather than using free appliances that companies such as Google offer, you should rather pay for a secure network that will protect you and your data.
