Many parallels can be drawn between the society showcased in George Orwell’s 1984 and today’s modern society. These parallels include similarities in technology, social structure, and more. The most obvious and glaring similarities, however, are in terms of the government’s surveillance over the citizens.
In 1984, devices called telescreens are used to spy on and keep watch over the citizens of Oceania. Telescreens are like television screens with cameras inside which let Inner Party members watch over Outer Party members whenever they’re near one. Telescreens are positioned nearly everywhere in Oceania, so it is almost impossible to escape the gaze of “Big Brother.” Similarly, the NSA utilizes modern technology such as the Internet to keep an eye on American
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And, in today’s world, technology is everywhere; most people have phones, smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, computers, cameras, GPS systems, gaming consoles, or other Internet-connected devices. The NSA is able to use any and all of these things to spy on unsuspecting citizens without their consent. The way they spy, however, is not as simple as it may seem. Unlike in 1984, where all that is used are video cameras, the NSA can sift through text messages, phone calls, voicemails, emails, web browsing history, photos, videos, and anything else stored on a device. They use the information gained through this and run them through what they call “sniffers,” which are programs that search for certain keywords, phrases, types of pictures and videos, and websites. If these are found on someone’s device they are looked over by someone and they are decided either dangerous or not. Things that these “sniffers” search for could be anything related to terrorism, murder, illegal drugs, child pornography, and other things of that nature. While this makes the surveillance seem like a great way to catch criminals, there are major drawbacks to it. The NSA still goes through the information of millions of innocent