Big brother IS watching us..

Orwell wrote ‘Nineteen Eighty Four’ as a chilling warning of the possibility of a brutal surveillance society using elements of oppression already in use and his knowledge of human nature.

He had no idea how technology would advance as it has to make spying on individuals as easy as it is. Neither did it

occur to him that institutions, being slow, uncoordinated and lumbering, would not be able to use the technology to its optimum effect.

Thus the power of Google is used to sell us yogurt; we are exhorted to buy the big ticket item we have just bought and our data is left on trains by nincompoops.

Of course, interconnectedness has given personal venality rocket boosters and so we have porn, internet paedophilia and online gambling but they are not forced on us by a B.B. government.

Still, there is a powerful mechanism in place should any authoritarian regime wish to oppress its citizens. Blair’s spell in power did much to legislate away the ordinary citizen’s rights to privacy and security in their own home, after all. Are we ready for Comrade Corbyn?

My nephew was discussing a possible purchase with his DW. He switched on his computer and, lo and behold, there were the search results already for him!

Godfather . Does your nephew have an alexa or similar .I've heard that they "listen" to everything being said and react to things.
Don't think I will ever have one of those.

Other search engines are available. I never use google.

Totally agree about people being chipped in the future. It could carry medical info and history including doing diagnostics, etc; bank details; criminal record; location of vulnerable people.
All great provided the humans in charge are responsible!

Anyone know why a message popped up on my screen this morning saying it wanted to use my webcam? I've never seen that before.

I've turned the webcam off. It was a bit unnerving. I had just got out of the shower, so it would be difficult to say who would have got the biggest shock them or me.

What is going on?

Report it to your internet provider. It could be someone wanting to spy on you or your online movements and passwords, and the internet provider could have the means to investigate.

Thank you Elegran. I hadn't thought of that.

I spoke with my provider and they were helpful and reassuring. It seems the webcam takeover bid was linked to Cortana and a Windows 10 update. I disabled the webcam and changed all passwords. Also important that I have never allowed my location to be seen or it could be worse. It seems such programmes can see us and listen to us.

Hope no one else has such an experience.

Good to know that they were on the ball and helpful.

Oh dear I’m back in the dark ages, have a cheap old mobile phone that just texts and I can call a taxi etc when we are out on, plus a diary from Poundland that I write every appointment and outing down in for me and OH. Always know where I’m up to and what I’m doing.

Glitter I prefer paper diaries but its not compatable with my job.

So it would mean I had 2 diaries: online & paper for work & personal...which I tried for a while but it resulted in mix ups.

In lots of jobs now smartphones are expected and all the systems are geared up with that assumption.

Time changes and overtime confirmations all ping into my online calender. If I just transcribed them and didnt use the online system I wouldnt be notified of changes or updates or swaps. Training details get sent that way too (room/time).

Oh notanan2 I’m so glad I’ve been retired from my office manager post for over ten years now, even though a lot of my work was computerised after being a pen pushing job for many years I don’t think I could have coped with what you are speaking of here.

I have just bought a smart phone. Should I be worried about Cambridge Analytica?

luzdoh It’s not done by people shifting through all your emails but by a computer algorithm. You can reduce this by selecting the disable cookies on your security settings. The idea is that your “shopping experience is enhanced” or to put another way they can flog you more stuff? even if you disable cookies it won’t stop GCHQ etc with their search for terrorists as they use very sophisticated soft ware

Lilyflower You speak of Blair and “comrade Corbyn” but it was Cameron and TM who forced through the Investigatory Powers Act which Corbyn voted against!
This Act gives internet service providers the legal duty to store our emails and web activity for 12 months to allow HMG to go through them!
It is also used by local authorities to catch parents trying to lie about address for converted school places

For reasons best known to himself my husband was looking at motorised cycles at work the other lunchtime - on his works pc which has no connection to his own laptop. That night he received a personal e-mail from Halfords - about motorised cycles! How is that even possible?!! Big brother watching indeed

How did this one work:

bought some moisturiser in boots. not a trendy new brand an oldfashioned brand. I didnt search it online at any point. Used my debit card but no loyalty card and do not have a banking app linked to my debit card on my phone. Didnt mention it to anyone via text or email etc as it was quite a boring purchase

All my pop ups on my phone that evening were for that brand.

How? I'm mainly curious as to how it linked up?