7 ms·

My point is that the technology exists, for good or ill, and we cannot put the genie back in the bottle. What we can do, and should do as a society, is decide

My point is that the technology exists, for good or ill, and we cannot put the genie back in the bottle. What we can do, and should do as a society, is decide on how that technology should be used. And that means regulating it, in the same way that we regulate other technologies. For example, we regulate cars. Not just who can use them, but how they have to be constructed too. And we also place limits on how the authorities can use them, for example the rules that the police must obey when in an emergency response situation. We are a democracy, so these rules are made by the people we have elected. so when it comes down to it, yes, this is what we as a people have asked for. And we are responsible for the conditions that the police can use this technology under. FWIW, the capabilities and resources that the police have to track us 24/7 are an order of magnitude less than Google or Meta has. And they are an awful lot less accountable.

throw-the-towel 1mo ago
> the capabilities and resources that the police have to track us 24/7 are an order of magnitude less than Google or Meta has. This will be a good argument when Google or Meta are able to arrest you.
- foldr 1mo ago
  Google can block access to your Google account, which is enormously disruptive for many people whose online lives are built around it. In some ways it could be more disruptive in the long term than an arrest.
  - account42 1mo ago
    At least I can choose to not do business with Google. I can't do the same with my government. Even emigrating effectively requires their permission.
    - foldr 1mo ago
      In principle, yes, but the lock in is real. Most non-technical people who have decades' worth of important data and credentials linked to their Google Accounts can't easily move away from them. Depending on personal circumstances, it's not difficult to imagine some international moves being easier than losing all your Google accounts. I've moved internationally several times, but I can barely contemplate what would happen if I lost my GMail.

throw-the-towel 1mo ago

> the capabilities and resources that the police have to track us 24/7 are an order of magnitude less than Google or Meta has. This will be a good argument when Google or Meta are able to arrest you.

foldr 1mo ago
Google can block access to your Google account, which is enormously disruptive for many people whose online lives are built around it. In some ways it could be more disruptive in the long term than an arrest.
- account42 1mo ago
  At least I can choose to not do business with Google. I can't do the same with my government. Even emigrating effectively requires their permission.
  - foldr 1mo ago
    In principle, yes, but the lock in is real. Most non-technical people who have decades' worth of important data and credentials linked to their Google Accounts can't easily move away from them. Depending on personal circumstances, it's not difficult to imagine some international moves being easier than losing all your Google accounts. I've moved internationally several times, but I can barely contemplate what would happen if I lost my GMail.