A part of the science fiction book I’ve written (now editing!) broaches the topic of privacy and control in today’s society. What privacy do we have? And what potential power does this provide companies to influence us with the information they collect?

You’d be surprised to the extent this is possible: through search engine results, advertising, marketing, specifically targeted advertising on social media, data collecting and sharing… the list continues.

Even further, how will this develop in the future? The expectation of privacy goes back to history older than the countries in which we live. You may be familiar with the phrase ‘my home is my castle’? Yes, that’s what I mean when I say waayyy back.

While I have a great appreciation for technology and would have all the latest and greatest of technology in my home if I had the means, I feel as if we have taken a step back in terms of respect for our privacy, a right we have long fought for.

It’s becoming the norm that we accept the company, the marketer, the buyer, the seller, the advertiser, the government, the researchers, the product designers… the list goes on here too, into the very heart of our lives in exchange for using their technology.

Think about it. Every time we download a new app, purchase a new tech. gadget, install new software, use any type of social media, there’s always that mandatory phrase ‘give access to’ or ‘privacy agreement’ that you must accept prior to use.

Some updates (take a look at your phone apps!) are updated weekly even. It becomes habit to have all of these done automatically, but what is happening?

I have no desire to live in the stone age, or to take the time to read over every single document that lists what data is collected and how it is used, and companies have taken advantage of this.

It always seems as if the big company has the upper hand. While big companies have the data processing and human power to go over all these changes, we as individuals do not, and we should be protected from this disadvantage.

Why can’t it be simple? For example, we have laws that protect us from the government. In Canada, and the USA, this is the constitution, and some of the strongest standing laws in the history of these young countries.

As the power of companies grow to enter our home through voice and video recording, I wonder if there will be a day when a second constitution is made. This time, to protect us from the big company.

I’d be happy with this as a starting point: “Hey Alexa, okay google, what data have you collected on me today?” And they must tell us.

If you’d like to talk about this or have comments, you can reach me in the contacts section, or on my facebook page infinite by anne marie.