This decade could be marked by a battle between privacy and security. Where are the limits? How much of the benefits are we losing by protecting our privacy? Or, on the other hand, are we giving up too much data? For Apple, Privacy is a pillar on all your devices. From the encryption of the operating system itself to most of the features of Apple Smart.
This collides with other companies such as Facebook, with very serious previous controversies after the Cambridge Analytica Scandal. It was from that moment that companies took user privacy much more seriously. Although today we have again another point of view completely opposite to that of Tim Cook. It is Larry Ellison (co-founder of Oracle), who has clearly expressed his position: privacy is overrated.
Video surveillance as a solution to many of our problems
As Tim Cook and Apple advocate for user data protection, Larry Ellison paints a future where mass video surveillance and artificial intelligence will control every move of citizens. And as scary as it may sound, for Larry Ellison, it would be beneficial for all humanity.
At a recent financial meeting, Oracle’s co-founder presented his vision of a world in which autonomous drones and Millions of AI-powered cameras will keep order and “force” citizens to behave properly. While many worry about this dystopia, the tycoon sees it as an ideal technological solution.
According to Larry Ellison, what we see today as a surveillance society will soon be the norm. During a series of questions, Ellison explained how he thinks AI will take over public safety. In this scenario, cameras placed in vehicles, streets and even drones and they will analyze every citizen action. The idea is simple: if someone knows that he is being monitored at all times, he will not break the rules.
Oracle’s Larry Ellison says a surveillance system consisting of police body cameras, car cameras, and autonomous drones, all monitored by AI, will continuously record and report police and citizen activity, incentivizing everyone to behave optimally. pic.twitter.com/RAq5XGaNmZ
– Tsarathoustra (@tsarnick) September 15, 2024
Comparison with “Big Brother” 1984George Orwell’s novel, is inevitable. In the novel, citizens are constantly monitored by the government. And while Orwell’s work warns of the danger of this extreme control, Larry Ellison presents it as something positive, capable of preventing crime and improving global securityl. In fact, he assures that this technology is already in operation in countries like China, where the system of automated cameras collects data from each citizen.
And not only China, South Korea also implements video surveillance. Japan also has a large number of cameras. In short, Asian countries have a different vision on the notion of privacy. Maybe they agreed to be able to give up this “little bit of freedom” in exchange for safer walking on the streets. Have no fear of being robbed, mugged, etc. And those of us who have been to these countries know that we can feel completely safe. Culture? CCTV? Personally, I would bet on a mixture of both.
For Tim Cook, security and privacy can be united
In front of this vision, we have Tim Cook, who has maintained a firm position on the importance of privacy. For the CEO of Apple, privacy is a fundamental right and any technological advancement must respect it. Apple Intelligence Development in Sightend-to-end encryption in iMessage or the creation of the Application Tracking Transparency system, which requires apps to ask permission before tracking data for advertising purposes, which has affected companies like Facebook and their advertising profits.
Tim Cook defends him you don’t have to choose between privacy and technology. True innovation must find ways to protect the user, rather than control or exploit them. On the other hand, Ellison’s position is not without conflicts of interest. As CEO of Oracle, his company is directly involved in creating big data infrastructures and AI systems that would benefit precisely from the adoption of surveillance technologies on a large scale. This raises the question of whether his defense of mass video surveillance is based solely on security concerns or whether hides an economic interest in improving the growth of your business.
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