6th August 2012

I know where you live!

This was a pretty unveiled threat made to someone who had in some way offended you.

I know where you live!

Was a way of saying that neither you nor your family were safe, even in your own home.

It can be quite a shock, certainly used effectively in films and novels, when someone, anyone whom you are seeking to avoid, turns up unannounced at your front door.

I know where you live!

George Orwell coined the phrase Big Brother in his novel 1984 which described what would happen when totalitarianism replaced democracy.

‘They’, will know where you live!

‘They’ will also be able to monitor everything you are doing, who you are meeting, what you are saying; they will effectively be able to eavesdrop on your life as it is played out.

There will be no secrets.

Now of course we take it for granted, accept it as the norm.

We have voluntarily entered into a collusion with ourselves, our friends and the social networks we use.

The first time I saw an ipad my friend suggested that I looked at google earth.

What did I look for?

My own address and postcode.

I then zoomed in on my front door, identified my car and marvelled at the technology.

After I had bought one I tweeted (I know!) that I was enjoying a Gin and Tonic, seconds later my daughter contacted me to say that I had better get some more glasses and ice cubes because I had just invited the world to my house.

Location services, don’t switch them off and wherever you are, whoever you are with, whatever you are doing, someone will know.

Some people dismiss this as paranoia others recognise that quite voluntarily and enthusiastically we have embraced the future envisaged by George Orwell, we do now have a big brother, whether it is facebook, twitter, Linkedin, or any other social network someone, somewhere will be following us.

Yes our friends of course, that is the point.

But who else will know when we are away from home?

Where we are on holiday?

Whether we are with our partner or someone else?

What our plans are?

How will that information be of value to them?

It is unsurprising just how targeted web based advertising is, either on this blog site, on facebook or through other channels advertising is directed my way that reflects my interests, my searches, my words in the blog I write.

But of course it is not just my networks and the sites and organisations they sell my data to.

There are other agencies watching and monitoring ………………

And they know where you live …………….