Cambridge Analytica, Facebook, AIQ, and now Palantir have all emerged as active actors in the weaponization of stolen American private data, placing them squarely in the company of a hostile foreign power that led its own weaponization campaign of stolen Democratic Party data. This coincidence seems much more then just that or a confluence of failed corporate governance that favored growth and profits over securing the data of their members. For any excuse to be believable, one would have to ignore the public record of these figure-heads and corporations in regards to their beliefs on how governments should work and the resulting relationships and responsibilities amongst government, business, and the individual. Additionally, there brazen disregard for privacy of their users is antithetical to their own staunch opposition and objections against opening their private data and technologies to assist in government investigations and inquiries.
If we continue to pull this thread, we begin to understand the chilling reality of how the user is not in fact the user, but the product, and what we understood to be the product are just features. We can see through their lack of keeping their opinions to themselves how this philosophy can be mapped to how they view their role in regards to government. This time, government is the feature to their 2.0 society and should be responsive to the needs of the technocrat and the innovations of entrepreneurship. Is it really that far-fetched to imagine that these profiteers of their users would not envision a society where they inserted themselves to release a new feature for government that would be even more malleable to their vision for the world; while increasing their profits and revenue. After all, these platforms are inextricably woven into the fabric of society. They are clearly superior, and should be held in the highest esteem with constant praise; alongside movie stars, pro atheletes, and Presidents.
I would like to hear from them and I would like Senator Kamala Harris to lead the charge in seeing that answers are provided to the growing list of questions and suspect actions against American Democracy. Let’s all lean-in and hear what these titans of Silicon Valley have to say before open congressional hearings, and let’s hope Congress will take the opportunity to stand strong against their considerable wealth and influence.
#MeToo, Times Up, March for Our Lives, and Black Lives Matter to name just a few demonstrate the power of the masses when they stand not as individuals, but as one. The growing DeActivate movement is just that, I only wish I had a an account to deactivate myself, but then I saw this data scheme for what it was from its inception.