Big Brother's Matrix Eye: The Reality of Modern Surveillance & Privacy
The Patriot Act and the Erosion of Privacy
Everyone remembers the horror of September 11, 2001, and more than likely, they remember exactly where they were when they first learned about it. One of the government’s answers to that national tragedy, where nearly 3,000 innocent civilian lives were agonizingly snuffed out, was to pass the USA Patriots Act. The US Congress finalized the Act on October 26, 2001.
The Patriot’s Act expired in 2015 but was reauthorized with stricter privacy safeguards and renamed The USA Freedom Act. The purpose of both Acts was to keep track of potential terrorists, and terrorist activities, both here and abroad. It also provided for better communications between government agencies that shared similar authorities, but rarely exchanged information. This made it easier for the agencies to “connect the dots” and track and trace the “bad guys”.
This all sounds well and good until you realize that the awesome authority given to the Department of Justice, the FBI, the Department of Treasury and the Coast Guard, could easily be utilized for nefarious purposes, including spying on political adversaries, innocent citizens or companies. Chris's new coin, Matrix Eye, reflects this new reality.
2025 "Matrix Eye" Silver Proof Coin, by Chris Duane
It has recently come to light that this type of unsavory behavior occurred during the Obama Administration. Nefarious United States intelligence agents used what was intended to keep us safe from terrorists to spy on their political adversaries, including Trump. These activities were promulgated in direct opposition to the Act's intended purpose. Welcome to the Digital Age of Evil.
Although the 2015 revision addressed privacy concerns, it is obvious that it did not go far enough. Let’s hope Trump is rectifying this odious situation because today, we are ALL under constant surveillance. Some people fear it, but unfortunately, many people have come to accept it as the new normal, when it is NOT! Spying on innocent people is never OK. In fact, in the not too distant past, those kinds of “wiretapping” activities required the issuance of a warrant by a judge. Now people just click ok and give up their privacy to HAL (2001 Space Odyssey)
The Rise of the Digital Panopticon
The most unsettling aspect of this reality is the Orwellian nature of the invasion of people's privacy. George Orwell’s book, 1984, warned about this possibility and yet, here we are!
Have you ever been discussing a product with a friend and suddenly gotten an advertisement related to the same product on your phone? Have you ever been talking about a place you’d like to visit, while sitting in your kitchen, and had your Siri screen suddenly show photos of the location you were discussing? Have you ever Googled a subject and your thread is suddenly filled with like subjects. Have you ever called customer service about a problem with your laptop and been requested by the agent to allow his access to your computer to determine the problem for himself? Even YouTube keeps track of what you watch and sends similar videos to your feed. It can all seem amusing or amazing, but it should be considered alarming and appalling because privacy is one of the fundamental necessities to sustain a Constitutional Republic. Without it, tyranny reigns.
Convenience vs. Constant Surveillance
In many ways, we are nearly there because we no longer have ANY privacy as “they” listen to and watch us all day long through every device we own, including our phones, computers, televisions and even Siri. Everything from traffic flow, to truck routes, to personal car locations, to bank accounts and buying trends are monitored and recorded. It doesn't matter if we are at work, home or in our car “they” are able to watch us. And this is possible because “they” put lipstick on a pig. As a result, nearly everyone wants the “convenience” of a cell phone, laptop or internet. Many naive people are unaware that these intriguing devices are all portals to our private lives and that they are routinely breached.
“Matrix Eye” Silver Coin from Silver Shield
This insidious invasion of our personal world happens all day and night and yet many people just accept it, while others have not. Some people have begun to put electrical tape over the lenses of the camera’s on their iPad, iPhones and computers for fear their daily activities, including in the bathroom, are literally being watched by a devious stranger. Years ago, that would have been considered paranoid behavior. Today, not so much.
People realize they are being “watched” on the highway, in stores, restaurants, schools and parking lots because cameras are everywhere. Many people just accept it because they justify it in their heads by telling themselves they aren’t the “bad guys”, so they have nothing to fear. That excuse works, until it doesn’t.
The vast and invasive nature of today’s surveillance technology, used under the guise of tracking the “bad guys”, can be turned on a dime and used to attack the “good guys” too. Just remember, depending on what side of the fence you’re standing on, those two terms can be interchangeable.
Yes, we are all connected and, as of now, there’s no escape.
But, never forget to be alert, be careful and more importantly - BEWARE!
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