The World in 2030

250 The World in 2030
trend is accelerating, exponential technology development
and it is this phenomenon that will do most to shape our
lives in a generation’s time.
The Surveillance Society
Life in 2030 will be pursued within surveillance societies, 470
at least in the developed world. If this seemingly-Orwellian
prediction appears chilling to you, it is necessary to separate
the notion of ‘Big Brother’s’ agenda from the use of cameras
for improved security. In the fight between the need for
individual personal privacy and society’s need for increased
security, the battles have all been going security’s way.
In 2001, in the wake of the September 11 th terrorist
atrocity in New York, Wired magazine was advising its
readers to stop worrying about public-space surveillance and
learn to live with it:
Cell phones that pinpoint your location. Cameras
that track your every move. Subway cards that remember.
We routinely sacrifice privacy for convenience
and security. So stop worrying. And get ready
for your close-up.
The terrorist assault on America shifted the balance
between privacy and security. What was considered
Orwellian one week seemed perfectly reasonable -
even necessary – the next. Politicians who routinely
clash were marching in lockstep. 471