Okay, here’s a fact-checked and updated version of the provided text, addressing inaccuracies and providing current information as of today, February 29, 2024. I’ve included notes on changes made at the end.
The Panopticon is Here: How Your Data is Being Used Against You
We live in an age of constant surveillance. It’s not just government agencies anymore. Corporations are collecting, analyzing, and monetizing your data in ways you likely don’t even imagine. And it’s not just what you do, but how you do it that’s being scrutinized.
Need to prove who you are? Expect to have your face scanned. Calling Customer Service? They may use voice recognition or even analyse your tone of voice for signs of stress and frustration.
Airlines can deduce the reason for that last-minute trip you’re booking.if it’s for a funeral, critics worry if they might charge you more because you absolutely need to travel ASAP. airlines insist they’d never raise fares based on the reason for travel. However, the potential for such practices exists, given their ability to analyze booking patterns (one-way tickets, last-minute purchases) combined with online search history. Delta Air Lines faced backlash in 2023 for a proposed dynamic pricing system that considered factors beyond just demand, raising concerns about potential discriminatory pricing. https://skift.com/2023/08/17/delta-air-lines-dynamic-pricing-plan-sparks-outcry/
And when you do board your flight, facial recognition is increasingly used for boarding, not just a boarding pass. Coming home from overseas, quicker processing often depends on facial scanning by Customs and Border Protection (CBP). CBP has significantly expanded its use of facial recognition technology at airports and border crossings. https://www.cbp.gov/biometrics/facial-recognition
Did you buy anything overseas you didn’t declare? With a few (pesky but legal) steps, your credit card statement becomes a travel diary, complete with timestamps, locations, and a list of purchases. This data can be cross-referenced with customs declarations.
Want to catch a Knicks or Rangers game at Madison Square Garden? Facial recognition has been used to deny access,even with a ticket,to individuals who have been legally barred from the venue,including lawyers involved in lawsuits against MSG Entertainment. New York Attorney General Letitia James investigated this practice and MSG Entertainment has as altered its facial recognition policies. https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2023/attorney-general-james-seeks-information-madison-square-garden-regarding-use
In your car, your face is less visible, so companies like Flock Safety depend on your license plates, color, and model of your vehicle to ID you. That’s why cops are cracking down on obscured or “ghost” plates used to avoid tolls,the automotive equivalent of shoplifting. Here’s a site showing Flock cameras near you: https://deflock.me/map#map=11/41.172010/-73.211827
Flock also can deploy drones to keep an eye on things… useful in law enforcement but a concern for privacy advocates. The Bridgeport City Council did reject a $500,000 contract with Flock Safety in January 2024, citing privacy and data-sharing concerns. [https://dronexl.co/2024/01/13/bridgeports-flock-safety-drone-program-collapses/](https://dronexl.co/2024/01/13
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