* WSJEurope
+ WSJEurope
+ Facebook
+ Twitter
* WSJ Live
+ WSJ Live
* Market Watch
+ Market Watch
* Barron's
+ Barron's
* All Things Digital
+ All Things Digital
* Factiva
+ Factiva
* Risk
+ Risk
* More
+ WSJ X - Invitation Only
+ New Portfolio
+ BigCharts
+ Financial News
+ Professor Journal
+ SmartMoney
+ Student Journal
+ Virtual Stock Exchange
+ WSJ Classifieds
+ WSJ Classroom
+ WSJ Radio
+ WSJ Wine
News, Quotes, Companies, Vid (BUTTON) SEARCH
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
________________________
___________________________________________________
_____________________
_
___________________________
- ________
headline_____________________________________________
_________________________________________________
- _________________
__
goldman___________
_________________________________________________
___________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
_
_________________________________________
__________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
_____
____________________________________________________
The Wall Street Journal
* Subscribe
* Log In
Europe Edition
* U.S.
* Asia
* Europe
* América Latina
* Brasil
* 中文-简体(China)
* Deutschland
* India
* Indonesia
* 日本(Japan)
* 한국(Korea)
* Home
* World » More
World » More
Loading…
* Europe » More
Europe » More
Loading…
* U.K. » More
U.K. » More
Loading…
* U.S. » More
U.S. » More
Loading…
* Business » More
Business » More
Loading…
* Markets » More
Markets » More
Loading…
* Market Data » More
Market Data » More
Loading…
* Tech » More
Tech » More
Loading…
* Life & Culture » More
Life & Culture » More
Loading…
* Opinion » More
Opinion » More
Loading…
* Heard on the Street
* Property » More
Property » More
Loading…
* Peggy Noonan's Blog
* Leisure & Arts
* Letters to the Editor
* Political Diary
* Discussion Groups
* Dow Jones Reprints: This copy is for your personal, non-commercial
use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to
your colleagues, clients or customers, use the Order Reprints tool
at the bottom of any article or visit www.djreprints.com
See a sample reprint in PDF format. Order a reprint of this article
now
* The Wall Street Journal
* OPINION
* January 3, 2013, 7:16 p.m. ET
Andy Kessler: In the Privacy Wars, It's iSpy vs. gSpy
Big Brother is watching us. But we are watching back.
* Article
* Stock Quotes
* Comments
more in Opinion | Find New $LINKTEXTFIND$ »
* smaller
* Larger
By ANDY KESSLER
Randi Zuckerberg, sister of Mark, thinks she's got problems? Last week
she complained that a family photo posted to Facebook had been
circulated on Twitter without her authorization. Well, over a few hours
around town that day I counted 57 cameras—at traffic lights, various
stores and the bank—and my phone told me I switched between eight
different cellphone towers. We are all being watched, whether we like
it or not.
So who's winning? It is a battle between you and the government—like
Mad Magazine's Spy vs. Spy comic, but it's gSpy vs. iSpy.
There are thousands of toll booths at bridges and turnpikes across
America recording your license plate. There are 4,214 red-light cameras
and 761 speed-trap cameras around the country. Add 494,151 cell towers
and 400,000 ATMs that record video of your transactions. New York City
alone has 2,400 official surveillance cameras and recently hired
Microsoft to monitor real-time feeds as part of the Orwellian-named
Domain Awareness System. And that is nothing compared with England,
where over four million surveillance cameras record the average
Londoner 300 times a day.
Enlarge Image
image
Close
image
Corbis
Popular Mechanics magazine estimates that there are some 30 million
commercial surveillance cameras in the U.S. logging billions of hours
of video a week. I guarantee that you're in hundreds if not thousands
of these. In the year 1984, we only had lame amber-screened PCs running
Lotus 123. Now, 64 years after George Orwell sent "1984" to his
publisher, we have cheap video cams and wireless links and terabyte
drives and Big Brother is finally watching.
So gSpy is winning, right?
Not so fast. We are watching back. I know the precise number of
red-light cameras because a website (poi-factory.com) crowdsources
their locations and updates them daily for download to GPS devices. And
30 million surveillance cameras are a pittance compared with the 327
million cellphones in use across America, almost all of them with video
cameras built in.
How do you think the "Don't tase me, bro" guy protesting a 2007 speech
by John Kerry ever got famous? Last year, when cops at the University
of California at Davis were caught on video pepper-spraying protesters,
they had to pay $30,000 each to 21 students to settle. A man arrested
for blocking traffic at an Occupy Wall Street protest (who was there to
defend police tactics, oddly) was acquitted when smartphone photos and
video showed protesters on the sidewalk, not the street. Six members of
the 2004 St. John's basketball team had rape charges against them
dropped when a video of the accuser's extortion demands was recorded on
a player's cellphone.
Zapruder, Rodney King, the young Iranian Neda Agha-Soltan's death by
gunshot after her country's rigged 2009 election. In America and
increasingly across the world, iSpies are watching, too.
Both sides are getting more sophisticated. Snowboarders mount GoPro
Hero cameras to their helmets to record up to eight hours of their
exploits. So-called lifeloggers pin small, $199 "Memoto" cameras to
their shirts and snap a photo every 30 seconds. With cheaper data
storage, it is easy to envision iSpies logging audio, GPS and
eventually video of our lives.
But gSpy is going further. Already a third of large U.S. police forces
equip patrol cars with automatic license plate-readers that can check
1,000 plates per hour looking for scofflaws. Better pay those parking
tickets because this system sure beats a broken tail light as an excuse
to pull you over. U.S. Border Patrol already uses iris-recognition
technology, with facial-recognition in the works, if not already
deployed. How long until police identify 1,000 faces per hour walking
around the streets of New York?
In September, Facebook turned off its facial-recognition technology
world-wide after complaints from Ireland's Data Protection Commission.
I hope they turn it back on, as it is one of the few iSpy tools ahead
of gSpy deployment.
The government has easy access to our tax information, stock trades,
phone bills, medical records and credit-card spending, and it is just
getting started. In Bluffdale, Utah, according to Wired magazine, the
National Security Agency is building a $2 billion,
one-million-square-foot facility with the capacity to consume $40
million of electricity a year, rivaling Google's biggest data centers.
Some estimate the facility will be capable of storing five zettabytes
of data. It goes tera, peta, exa, then zetta—so that's like five
billion terabyte drives, or more than enough to store every email,
cellphone call, Google search and surveillance-camera video for a long
time to come. Companies like Palantir Technologies (co-founded by early
Facebook investor Peter Thiel) exist to help the government find
terrorists and Wall Street firms find financial fraud.
As with all technology, these tools will eventually be available to the
public. Internet users created and stored 2.8 zettabytes in 2012.
Facebook has a billion users. There are over 425 million Gmail
accounts, which for most of us are personal records databases. But
they're vulnerable. We know from the takedown of former Gen. David
Petraeus that some smart legwork by the FBI (in this case matching
hotel Wi-Fi tags and the travel schedule of biographer Paula Broadwell)
can open up that database to prying eyes. Google has accused China of
cracking into Gmail accounts.
Google gets over 15,000 criminal investigation requests from the U.S.
government each year, and the company says it complies 90% of the time.
The Senate last week had a chance to block the feds from being able to
read any domestic emails without a warrant—which would put some
restraint on gSpy—but lawmakers passed it up. Google's Eric Schmidt
said in 2009, "If you have something that you don't want anyone to
know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place." Thanks,
Eric.
From governments to individuals, the amount of information captured and
stored is growing exponentially. Like it or not, a truism of digital
technology is that if information is stored, it will get out. Mr.
Schmidt is right. It doesn't matter whether an iSpy friend of Randi
Zuckerberg tweets it or a future WikiLeaks pulls it out of the data
center at Bluffdale and posts it for all to view. Gen. Petraeus knows
it. Politicians yapping about "clinging to guns" or "the 47%" know it.
Information wants to be free and will be. Plan for it. I'm paying my
parking tickets this week.
Mr. Kessler, a former hedge-fund manager, is the author most recently
of "Eat People" (Portfolio, 2011).
A version of this article appeared January 4, 2013, on page A13 in the
U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: In the
Privacy Wars, It's iSpy vs. gSpy.
Copyright 2012 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution
and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and
by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies,
please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit
www.djreprints.com
Join the discussion More In Opinion »
* image
Subscriber Content Read Preview
Nicaragua will sich in ein Paradies verwandeln
* Kampf in Syrien spült Islamisten an die Macht
* Die Welt zollt Papst Benedikt nach seinem Rücktritt Respekt
close
Email This
Recipient's Email Address (Separate multiple address with commas)
____________________
Your Email Address ____________________
Message (Optional)
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
[X] Send me a copy
Send
or Cancel
close
Thank You
Your email has been sent.
close
Error.
An error has occured and your email has not been sent.
Please try again.
• Invalid email address.
• You can't enter more than 20 emails.
• Seperate multiple addresses with Commas.
• Must enter an email address.
• You must enter the verification code below to send.
• Invalid entry: Please type the verification code again.
* Back To
* Voltar ao
* Back To
*
* MSN Money Homepage
* MSN Money Investing
Available to WSJ.com Subscribers
* [RV-AI989_ANTIDO_C_20121207004152.jpg]
Subscriber Content Read Preview
The Power of Negative Thinking
* [WO-AM666_GRILLO_C_20130210201145.jpg]
Subscriber Content Read Preview
Italian Comedian Ascends Political Stage
* [P1-BK235_USAFRI_C_20130208173345.jpg]
Subscriber Content Read Preview
Terror Leader Emerges, Then Vanishes, in Sahara
* [WO-AM660_RUSSAR_C_20130210165325.jpg]
Subscriber Content Read Preview
Russia Reins In Opposition Figure
Most Popular in Europe
* Apple Testing Watch-Like Device
* Fitness Instructors Are the New DJs
* Pope Benedict to Resign
* Run Your Family Like a Business
* U.K. to Probe H-P's Autonomy
From the HomePage
* [image]
Pope Benedict to Resign
Pope Benedict XVI said that he plans to step down at the end of
this month because of his deteriorating physical strength.
* [image]
Live: Latest Updates and Global Reaction
Follow updates and reaction from around the world to Pope
Benedict's decision.
* [image]
In Pictures: Eight Years of Benedict
View a selection of photographs from Pope Benedict's eight-year
tenure.
* [image]
Timeline: Guardian Of Catholic Faith
Joseph Ratzinger was the enforcer of doctrine under his
predecessor.
More in Opinion
* Rivkin and Grossman:Gun Control and the Constitution
* Kristol and Wehner: The Absentee Commander in Chief
* The Hagel Democrats
* The Wind Power Tax
* Obama's Gift to Iran
Most Popular In Europe
* Read
* Emailed
* Video
* Commented
* Subscriber Content Read Preview
1.
Apple Testing Watch-Like Device
* 2.
Fitness Instructors Are the New DJs
* 3.
Pope Benedict to Resign
* 4.
Run Your Family Like a Business
* 5.
U.K. to Probe H-P's Autonomy
* 1.
Run Your Family Like a Business
* 2.
Everybody Loves Labradors, So Why Are They Underdogs?
* 3.
Opinion: Kristol and Wehner: The Absentee Commander in Chief
* 4.
You Say Goodbye, I Say I Don't Know
* 5.
Opinion: Ben Carson for President
* 1.
Apple Is Testing an iPhone for Your Wrist
* 2.
What an Apple Watch Would Do
* 3.
Labrador Retreivers: The Underdogs of Westminster
* 4.
Five Stocks Warren Buffett and Insiders Are Buying
* 5.
The 130,000 Ton Asteroid Heading Toward Earth
* 1.
Opinion: So God Made a Fawner1262 comments
* 2.
Opinion: Ben Carson for President794 comments
* 3.
Opinion: Gun Control and the Constitution545 comments
* 4.
Opinion: The Absentee Commander in Chief493 comments
* 5.
Speech Lays Out Next Goals451 comments
* Articles Feed
* Most Emailed Feed
* Most Popular Video Feed
* Most Commented Feed
* Most Popular Feeds
Editors' Picks
* [image]
Terror Leader Emerges, Then Vanishes, in Sahara
* [image]
Everybody Loves Labradors, So Why Are They Underdogs?
* [image]
With Fewer to Lock Up, Prisons Shut Doors
* [image]
Paterno Family Fires Back at Freeh Report
* Apple Testing iPhone for Your Wrist
Apple is experimenting with designs for a watch-like device that
would perform some functions of a smartphone, according to people
briefed on the effort.
Loading...
Footnotes*
Real-time U.S. stock quotes reflect trades reported through Nasdaq
only; comprehensive U.S. stock quotes reflect trading in all markets
and are delayed at least 15 minutes. All quote volume is comprehensive
and reflects trading in all markets, delayed at least 15 minutes.
International stock quotes are delayed as per exchange requirements.
Video
* previous
*
* next
*
Opinion: Gun Control: Smart or Illegal? 4:21
*
Opinion: Benedict and the Vatican Morass 5:49
*
Opinion: Obama's State-of-the-Union Spin 5:06
Question of the Day
Will proposed labeling on narcotic painkillers reduce addiction and overdose
deaths?
1. (*) Yes
2. ( ) No
[BUTTON Input] (not implemented)___________ View Results »
Most Recommended
* CommentsComments
* CommentersCommenters
* 1.
“There is simply no comparing the...;”
- Ryan Schroeter 198 Recommendations
* 2.
“Steve Kroft's jellyfish intervie...;”
- Mike Fisch 172 Recommendations
* 3.
“"Some of the emails in the...;”
- Matilda Anders 111 Recommendations
* 4.
“Corruption as far as the eye can...;”
- Mary Childs 108 Recommendations
* 5.
“This man is the most incompetent...;”
- LAWRENCE MACINTYRE 108 Recommendations
* Mary Childs
1956 Recommendations
* Matilda Anders
1897 Recommendations
* Greg Liautaud
1825 Recommendations
* Maria Bonanno
1399 Recommendations
* XAVIER L SIMON
1294 Recommendations
Most Active Discussions
* Journal Community
*
Question of the Day
Where should the next pope be chosen from?
*
Religion & Ethics
Do we need religion to have ethics? Is it possible that a world
without religion can be, on the whole, a better place to live?
*
Libertarians
Why do people single out the Postal Service for losing money? Don't
all government agencies cost taxpayers billions each year? Does the
concept of P & L apply to government?
*
Libertarians
Immigration
*
Libertarians
Arab Spring
* See all Discussion Groups
More in Opinion
* Rivkin and Grossman:Gun Control and the Constitution
* Kristol and Wehner: The Absentee Commander in Chief
* The Hagel Democrats
* The Wind Power Tax
* Obama's Gift to Iran