(Archive November 2018) Hey Alexa, Are You Listening?

By Dylan Cernoia | Observer Contributor

The Humanities Project hosted an event at the Levi Heywood Memorial Library in Gardner called “Hey Alexa, Are You Listening?” that discussed modern day surveillance as compared to the book 1984.

The event informed students and the public about the current situation surrounding modern surveillance. It was led by James Bigelow, a 7-year Criminal Justice professor and former detective, and Reed Hillman, a 10- year Criminal Justice professor. 

People often hear about surveillance and it can be difficult to decipher fact from fiction. Are we always being watched or is it paranoia? In short, yes; Hillman said, “There are surveillance cameras everywhere. Even if you’re in the deep woods, there are game cameras.” While that seems like it bears a resemblance to the state in 1984, Bigelow said people shouldn’t worry about the thought police just yet saying, “We have oversight of separate branches, so if the police want to listen to your phone they got to get a warrant. They have to go through a judge; he’s got to review it and he’s got to agree that there is probable cause. Our system of checks and balances does work.” 

Wiretaps even have restrictions once they have been authorized. Known as minimization, the listener must turn off the wiretap if it is not gathering any criminal information. Currently it seems like our system, while slightly flawed, works, but technology is constantly changing, getting better and more advanced. With such improvements, will the authorities begin watching the public more or less?

Hillman believes that as technology advances, we will become more heavily surveilled. Hillman does warn students that “They should be very cognizant of the fact that it can be abused.” He said that this new wave of surveillance helps catch criminals. Simple things such as parking tickets and traffic cameras can allow the police to track and catch criminals.  However, Hillman also said that this balance between privacy and surveillance is achievable but must adapt with technology.