Surveillance Capitalism- The Need for an Electronic Bill of Rights

Society Regulation
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The privacy, cyber security, and consumer exploitation threats posed by the Facebook Cambridge Analytica story are systemic to all online services such as social media and connected product supported by predatory surveillance and data mining business practices rooted in Surveillance Capitalism.

People today are under some sort of corporate surveillance 24x7/365 via connected products that are a necessity such as smartphones, tablet PCs, PCs, autos, TVs, wearable tech, and other app driven connected products and services.

Citizens and children are being surveilled and data mined for financial gain at the expense of their privacy, cyber security, and safety by the very tech companies they patronize with their loyalty, trust, and hard earned money.

Law makers, the FCC, FTC, and other relevant agencies need to focus on passing legislation designed to protect consumers and children from data driven companies that employ predatory surveillance and data mining business practices that are rooted in Surveillance Capitalism.

It is time to stop complaining about the problem and start to take action to fix the problem. Knowledge is power and you will find it on my website My Smart Privacy (see enclosed link below).

I’ve authored a policy change proposal- Electronic Bill of Rights that I’m submitting to law makers. To learn more about the Electronic Bill of Rights and other information related to Surveillance Capitalism please visit my website My Smart Privacy at: www.MySmartPrivacy.com Please forward this information to anyone you that cares about privacy, cyber security, and business ethics. Best regards- Rex

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Thank you Rex, for this useful post and the link to your site. Putting pressure on law makers and government is a very valuable thing to do, and it future CHT will have to give this the attention it deserves.

Until then I’ll add these related links (so the forum creates cross-references for us making stuff easier to find later on):

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Thank you for the links- Rex

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[post was moved from Welcome from Tristan Harris, co-founder of CHT]

Tristan,

Thank you for coming forward. I too am an industry insider who has come forward with information that the public needs to know in regards to predatory surveillance and data mining business practices rooted in Surveillance Capitalism.

I’m a wireless industry veteran that includes smartphone application development (VP/GM- Houdinisoft). I also have senior executive experience in regards to managing wireless carriers. I currently have an application that I’ve developed going through the patent process.

I would love to help in any way possible. I recently sent information to senators Richard Blumenthal and Senator Ted Cruz to help them prepare for the Mark Zuckerberg congressional hearings put on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

At the request of Senator Ted Cruz’s office, I have recently authored a policy change proposal- Electronic Bill of Rights that I’m submitting to lawmakers (see enclosed links for details).

I also speak at tradeshows on the subject matter of privacy & cyber security threats posed by Surveillance Capitalism (IWCE- Defense Industry/Critical Infrastructure): https://www.iwceexpo.com/iwce18/public/SpeakerDetails.aspx?FromPage=Speakers.aspx&ContactID=1173700

Facebook Cambridge Analytica & Surveillance Capitalism- Systemic Privacy Threat

The privacy, cyber security, and consumer & child exploitation threats brought to light by the Facebook Cambridge Analytica incident are systemic to all online services such as social media and connected products supported by predatory surveillance and data mining business practices rooted in “Surveillance Capitalism”.

Lawmakers, the FTC, FCC, DOJ, DHS and other relevant agencies need to address Surveillance Capitalism as a whole due to the fact that data driven technology providers such as Google, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, Samsung, Amazon and other tech giants have adopted the Surveillance Capitalism Business Model.

Until the Surveillance Capitalism business model is changed or eradicated, our privacy, cyber security, and technology user exploitation problems will not go away which is why we need regulation.

The Surveillance Capitalism business model seeks to exploit the technology user for financial gain at the expense of the technology user’s privacy, cyber security and safety due to the fact that the terms of use which support connected products such as smartphones do not indemnify the user against harm.

I’ve spent the last three plus years researching and analyzing connected products, terms of use, preinstalled technology (e.g. apps, widgets, etc.), and predatory surveillance and data mining business practices rooted in Surveillance Capitalism.

The specific problems that need to be addressed are as followed:

  1. Intrusive technology products that require payment to participate
  2. Consumer & child exploitation- “Effective Consent” Users are not giving lawful permission to be surveilled and data mined by their technology providers due to unfair business & deceptive trade practices
  3. Artificial Intelligence (“AI”), predictive analytics, and suggestive technology (manipulating the product user)
  4. Privacy & cyber security threats
  5. Forced participation (exploitive terms of use)
  6. Multisource data mining apps
  7. Trusted Partners (civil liberty concerns- state actors)
  8. Conflict of interest & unfair business competition
  9. Protected (due process/4th amendment) telecom infrastructure governed by the FCC
  10. Privacy, cyber security, & civil liberty concerns
  11. Threats to confidential & protected environments (legal agreements, cyber security standards & confidentiality laws)
  12. Illegal terms of use- impossible legalese for individuals to read and understand especially children
  13. Purposely designed addictive, harmful, intrusive and exploitive technology
  14. Lack of control over technology that requires payment to participate
  15. Fraud inducement (misleading advertising/sales process)
  16. Child privacy, safety, and exploitation
  17. Harmful use of personal and professional Digital DNA

I would love to collaborate with Humane-Tech on getting regulations and/or legislation passed that will protect consumers and children from data driven technology providers who employ predatory surveillance and data mining business practices.

My reports and analysis were used by the Department of Homeland Security for their Study on Mobile Device Security which was published in April of 2017: https://www.dhs.gov/publication/csd-mobile-device-security-study My company RML Business Consulting, LLC is listed on page 97 of the DHS study as a contributor.

WND wrote an article “You’ve Already Clicked Away Your Privacy Rights” on my efforts to help the senators in regards to the Mark Zuckerberg congressional hearings: http://www.wnd.com/2018/04/youve-already-clicked-away-your-privacy-rights/

If you want to learn more about me and my advocacy you can visit my website My Smart Privacy at: www.MySmartPrivacy.com

For more information on Surveillance Capitalism, you can read the article “Surveillance Capitalism- The Need For An Electronic Bill of Rights” that I authored at: http://nebula.wsimg.com/f252bc5bc8dd7e86762697a4eb3cec3b?AccessKeyId=1DB03EC87337BD12896A&disposition=0&alloworigin=1

I’ve authored the framework for a policy change proposal-Electronic Bill of Rights that I’m submitting to law makers around the world. To view the policy change proposal- Electronic Bill of Rights click on this link: http://nebula.wsimg.com/adc9bdf1fb564fdfa1534f0d5d084c19?AccessKeyId=1DB03EC87337BD12896A&disposition=0&alloworigin=1

Again, let me know how we can collaborate and/or how I can help you all in any way. You can contact me at: RLee@RMLBusinessConsulting.com

Again, thank you for coming forward and your efforts to help bring changes that will protect technology users especially children.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards- Rex

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Please take the time to read The Article “Need for an Electronic Bill of Rights” published Feb 20, 2019 by the Epoch Times which highlights civil liberty, privacy, cyber security, safety and tech product user exploitation threats associated smartphones and connected products supported by the android OS, Apple iOS and MS Windows OS.

Read Part 1 to understand the privacy and cyber security threats facing consumers of smartphones and connected technology at: https://www.theepochtimes.com/the-need-for-an-electronic-bill-of-rights-part-1_2791428.html

2019

Read Part 2 to understand the framework for legislation that needs to be passed in order to protect smartphone and connected product users from predatory and harmful surveillance & data mining business practices employed by Google, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, Baidu and other tech giants: https://www.theepochtimes.com/the-need-for-an-electronic-bill-of-rights-part-2_2801273.html

2019

Go to my author page at the Epoch Times to read more tech and telecom articles centered on privacy and cyber security at: https://www.theepochtimes.com/author-rex-m-lee

Regards- Rex