1984 George Orwell Invasion Of Privacy

Everyone has always wondered if people were ever watching them. Our technology today is capable to eavesdrop in on anyone’s conversations even if their phones are turned off. In the novel, “1984”, the party INGSOC uses telescreens to watch over the people and always know what they are up to. This denies the people’s rights and privileges to go about their business as they please. The technology we have today is almost exact to what big brother uses in George Orwell’s novel by taking over the public and private parts of our lives.

The strict surveillance of citizens as seen in Orwell’s novel, 1984, is similar to the government involvement in today’s smart devices due to their advanced technical abilities.

In the modern society we are used to having privacy to a certain extent. In recent years, social media has opened up more sharing among individuals that ever before. However, where people are at all times, what they are thinking, and what people do in their homes are all completely private if they want it to be. That principle is the exact opposite in the classic futuristic novel, 1984 by George Orwell where every person’s action is seen. Similarly, the novel Little Brother by Cory Doctorow takes a look into the modern world's relatable experiences and how one action can slowly lead into the invasion of privacy. The characters in both of these novels do not agree with how society is ran, and want to change it.

“Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves”(Reagan). In the book, 1984, Winston recognizes the power the government has over the citizens of Oceania. The citizens lack privacy from the government. George Orwell warns society about a government with total control in 1984. Based on Dana Hawkin’s article, “Cheap Video Cameras Are Monitoring Our Every Move”, as well as Beech Etal’s, “The Other Side of the Great Firewall”, society may truly have something to fear in the form of surveillance and information manipulation.

Many Americans do not realize that at any time of the day the government could be observing their “private” lives. On the other hand, some individuals have predicted the government would develop a form of constant surveillance, like George Orwell who forecasted a futuristic government, which used technology as a relentless eye on the members of the society in the novel 1984. 1984 was correct, to an extent, in predicting that the government would increase their usage of technology to constantly observe their people, whether in public or their private homes.

The lack of privacy, in both “1984” and present society is detrimental, and has the ability to completely control and intimidate an entire community; therefore preventing society to move forward and progress. In 1984, Orwell is able to establish a lack of security. There are insecurities and worries behind every corner because, “Big Brother is watching you,” and it’s uncontrollable. In Winston’s case, thoughtcrime is a reoccurring theme in his life; and with the lack of privacy in his world, he knows that “thoughtcrime does not entail death, thoughtcrime is death”. Unfortunately, with the everyday struggle that is faced by the people of Oceania, privacy is not, and has never been granted and never will be.

The novel 1984 by George Orwell is informing how in the future that our privacy would be violated. In the book it stated how there’s someone always watching. “There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment”(Orwell, pg.3). This shows how privacy was being violated. But couldn’t do anything because it was a rule from the government.

Imagine living in a world where you could not make your own choices, or be your own person. In the novel 1984, this is exactly what happened. In a place called Oceania where there is no such thing as privacy and personal freedom (Roelofs), the main character Winston Smith, is living a strict life under the demanding party known as Big Brother. Winston decides that he wants his life back to normal and tries to rebel against the Party. Meanwhile, he is thought to be a lunatic because he is living his life how a normal person would, but everyone else is now living under what is thought to be a utopia society. Throughout the book Winston strongly disagrees with the fact that every second he is being keep under surveillance. Though at some points he believes he is being discrete, in reality someone is always watching. In 1984, George Orwell depicts the lack of privacy and loss of individualism which affects the characters and the society as a whole.

In where technology is an integral part of modern life, many people forget how technology is able to surveil every aspect of our daily life. For example, the government uses security cameras as a way to fight crimes and x-rays to stop terrorism. This aspect of utilizing modern technology by our government is similar to that of George Orwell’s 1984, where Oceania’s government use their telescreens to surveil their citizens. In 1984 the citizens of Oceania live in constant surveillance under Big Brother, an imaginary man created by the upper class in order to control all aspects of the population’s life. While in our current society edges closer to dystopian Oceania, in where they utilize technology to breach personal privacy; actively engaging

The lifestyle Winston has to live through is extremely uncomfortable, because he doesn’t have a single bit of privacy. Furthermore, another example in the book is, “He thought of the telescreens with its never sleeping ear. They could spy upon you night and day…” (pg.67). This example shows how they’re being watched at all times, even when they’re asleep. The telescreen doesn’t give them a chance to do anything they’re not permitted to do.

The government in 1984 maintains power by using constant surveillance and suppression of citizens. Unlike the modern era, all citizens know they are being watched and are cautious about their actions. Winston says of the telescreen, the Party’s method of espionage: “Any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it [the telescreen], moreover, so long as he remained within the field of vision which the metal plaque commanded, he could be seen as well as

The subject of mass surveillance tends to cause controversy between people living in a formed society. In the article, “A Surveillance Society” written by William E. Thompson and Joseph V. Hickey, the authors tackle the subject of mass surveillance with a sort of give-and-take neutral stance, utilizing the pages to distribute information rather than form a stance on the subject matter. Immediately drawing the imagery and ideas of George Orwell’s fictional novel “1984”, the authors quickly debunk the horrific dystopian future resulting from an oppressive government that uses mass surveillance to watch everything everyone is doing by stating the obvious fact that we do not live in this type of society. This is later combated by speculative suspicion

The idea of always being watched with no privacy is very evident in “1984” through the use of: children spies, hidden mikes and mass amounts of telescreens. These “instrument[s] (the telescreen, it was called) could be dimmed, but there was no way of shutting it off completely.”(Orwell 4) By including this, along with the fact that each one “receive[s] and transmit[s] simultaneously” (Orwell), it seems as if the author is trying to prove that you are never free. “Freedom is Slavery” (Orwell) is a slogan used in the novel to make the characters believe that all of the surveillance is normal in life, and that it is needed. Likewise, in North America Stores and shopping centers use security cameras throughout their buildings for the same reason

Police mattered.” (Orwell, 1949,p. 50). Since Big Brother is always watching and the Though Police are always on the watch, it is impossible for any kind of individualism to flourish. In a free society wrote French philosopher Montesquieu, “It is not always important that individuals reason well, it is sufficient that they reason; from their individuals thought, freedom is born,” (New York Times, 2016, p. 1) how can society develop if people are not permitted to be themselves. Throughout 1984, privacy is a prominent theme. The first aspect of this theme is the lack of privacy there are telescreen ever where watching where ever move. The telescreen received and transmitted simultaneously. Any sound that Winston made above the level of a very

There are those who would confront the government while there are many who would rely on them. Knowing that they are constructed to serve the people with protection from any kind, by gathering information via their phones, without consent. This strategy can be considered a way to protect citizens from threats, even foreign suspects. The novel 1984 has somewhat an accurate connection to what citizens live throughout now in days. Citizens can conduct their own choices but are taken by the idea of being watched and not seeing reality as making a change. Currently the U.S has surpass George Orwell's imagination with the use of data collection.