The discussion revolves around the concept of privacy in the digital age, specifically focusing on the potential for surveillance and the implications of this for personal freedom and choice. The speaker explores different methods of surveillance, from commercial data collection to state-sanctioned surveillance, and the use of spyware like Pegasus to target activists and journalists. They raise concerns about the potential for future technologies to read our minds, likening this to an invasion of our privacy. They also discuss the role of neurotechnology in this context, including brain-computer interfaces and the potential for telepathy. The speaker emphasizes the importance of being aware of potential surveillance and taking steps to protect privacy, such as using end-to-end encryption and downloading programs only from official sources. However, they also acknowledge the paradox of being a public figure in a world where everything is shared online, and the need to find a balance between speaking out and maintaining personal privacy. The speaker concludes by reminding the audience that while privacy may be threatened, it is not lost, and there are ways to protect it.
1. Humans naturally have curiosity about other people's lives.
2. We are social beings who constantly share information about ourselves through social media and digital technologies.
3. In our current world, it's possible to feel like we're always being watched.
4. Privacy in our world today is a topic of debate, with some questioning whether it's still possible to protect.
5. The text mentions a performer on stage or in front of the camera, implying that being exposed is part of the job.
6. However, the performer also has the choice to stay away from the stage, the screen, the people, and be alone.
7. The question arises whether this choice is still available today, in the world of technology and social media, where there's always someone potentially spying on us.
8. Remote installation of spyware is technically possible and happens, with governments using tools like Pegasus to target activists.
9. The speaker discusses the potential for privacy to exist in our world today, and whether there's still a chance to protect it.
10. The speaker questions the audience and its size.
11. During the research, the speaker discovered the work of Sarah, who works for the Open Technology Fund (OTF), a non-profit corporation against repressive surveillance.
12. The speaker asked Sarah about different methods of spying today, with Sarah mentioning commercial surveillance capitalism and government surveillance.
13. Information and data are being compared to oil, with the speaker suggesting that in today's digital world, they are the most lucrative thing about us.
14. The speaker questions whether there's a solution to use technology and preserve privacy at the same time, with some suggesting that we need to stop using technology and live in isolation.
15. The speaker then talks to Martine Gluten, a consultant in digital security and coordinator of the Coalition against spyware.
16. Martine advises to enable end-to-end encryption in the software, always install updates, and only download programs, videos, and music from official sources.
17. Martine also discusses the fear of remote installation of spyware, stating that while it's technically possible, it's expensive and usually happens to people with powerful enemies.
18. The speaker expresses fears about privacy invasion, feeling like their thoughts could be listened to, and wondering if future technology could read minds.
19. The speaker talks to Rafael Yuste, director of the Neurotechnology Center at Columbia University, about neurotechnology and its potential to read our minds.
20. Yuste explains that neurotechnology is tools and methods to record or change the activity of neurons in the brain, and that it's not just science fiction, but something that already happens in laboratory animals.
21. Yuste discusses the uses of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), which connect the brain to a computer or external machine, and their potential use in gaming and typing.
22. Yuste expresses concern that decoding speech and writing information into the brain could lead to telepathy and a form of brainwashing.
23. The speaker concludes by stating that when they want their privacy, they retreat to a personal space far away from the audience and technology.