The Big Brother Concept in Orwells 1984

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Statement of Conflict
Critical Analysis
Effective Resolution
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

It is important to note that George Orwells 1984 provides a clear and direct message about the implications of a democracy turning into totalitarianism. The given critical analysis will be developed around the subject of mass surveillance and the Big Brother concept from the novel. The installation of a multitude of cameras across the nation is communicated as a measure to ensure safety and prevent crime. However, there is a clear downside to such a powerful surveillance infrastructure. The writing is done on the appropriate occasion and audience to express ideas about privacy issues associated with mass surveillance.

Statement of Conflict

The modern development of advanced technology and its use to ensure security, safety, and protection of the public has come with a multitude of implications. One such case can be pointed out in regards to mass surveillance, such as camera installations, which indirectly affect a persons right to privacy. Mass surveillance is a form of indiscriminate tracking, monitoring, and control of a population (Mass Surveillance par. 1). One side of the argument is that mass surveillance prevents crime and helps to ensure justice if it is already committed. One study found that installing surveillance cameras lead to crime reductions by 24-28% when used in public spaces, such as urban subway stations and public streets (Alexandrie 210). In other words, these methods are effective at protecting the public and providing safety.

However, the other side of the argument is that mass surveillance violates a persons right to privacy. It is essentially a tool or instrument which can be exploited and abused to subjugate and oppress society if the latter decides to go against the state. Being able to monitor who, where, when, and how people move provides a government with an ability to suppress any dissent against it, which George Orwell referred to as the Big Brother (Orwell 3). A mass surveillance system can interfere with a citizens right to privacy, which is why any use of such measures needs to be strongly justified and substantiated before being implemented (Watt 773). Thus, the concern is real and reasonable since it creates a major shift in power dynamics between the public and its government.

Critical Analysis

The topic of Big Brother is important because it addresses the consequences of providing a state with unchecked control, power, and the ability to subjugate the public. The subject has valid relevance in contemporary society because mass surveillance systems are tightly dependent on technological advancements, and they will only improve and become more sophisticated as time proceeds. One should be aware that there is no clear boundary when a mass surveillance method turns from a safety and prevention approach to a privacy violation instrument (Friedewald et al. 49). In other words, it is always some form of trade-off that the public is willing to accept to make gains in other domains, such as security benefits. The question is about determining the line which needs not be crossed.

One should note that the issue is not about selecting one option over the other because they can be used in conjunction. Mass surveillance is a mere instrument that can be set up in such a way that it does not violate a persons privacy. In addition, there are other less invasive methods of preventing a crime or ensuring justice, such as addressing a root cause of a problem. Even if mass surveillance systems are irreplaceable, they can be tightly and transparently regulated to enable greater individual control over ones data and information stored by a surveilling agency.

Effective Resolution

As with any controversial and complicated subject, there is no clear-cut solution to mass surveillance. However, integrating a specific set of measures can enable a greater transfer of control of how data is used and utilized over to the public. Such privacy protection means include the implementation of effective legal frameworks to protect individual privacy, a working system of compliant filing when privacy is violated, and powerful violation remedies imposed on the surveillance agency (Watt 780). The Big Brother scenario does not have to be the case even if mass surveillance systems are being used for appropriate reasons. There are effective methods of controlling privacy violations by giving control over ones data to the actual individual. Agencies must not become non-transparent, closed, and uncontrolled by the public because the loss of democracy is a greater danger than public safety. In addition, there are always less invasive alternatives available, which do not carry privacy-related risks.

Firstly, a surveillance agency or any branch of government deciding to implement a greater degree of surveillance needs to justify the reasons before integrating such a system. For example, the public must be warned about the potential implications of not installing cameras in certain public spaces. Secondly, people must be given strong evidence about the effectiveness of the mass surveillance system beforehand. Thirdly, individuals need to be provided with means of making a complaint and seeking justice if a violation takes place. Fourthly, there needs to be a punitive measure implemented in order to keep the surveillance agencies or organizations in check by restraining and constraining their ability to abuse the instrument. There are five modalities of control over which a person should be given authority to ensure that his or her privacy is not violated. These include data storage, time span, voluntary access, destruction, and security (Ribeiro-Navarrete et al. 10). In other words, an individual must be able to have access to his or her data within a reasonable time span, and he or she must have a right to erase it or use it for his or her own protection.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the subject of interest is the Big Brother concept from George Orwells 1984, which corresponds to a highly relevant topic in modern society in regards to mass surveillance and privacy. The dynamic and the relationship between the latter two are not black and white because it is more about a trade-off to maximize the potential benefit. Mass surveillance is effective as a method of crime prevention and persecution. However, it additionally enables a greater capacity to violate individuals and the publics privacy. Therefore, a specific set of measures need to be implemented in order to ensure that the Big Brother scenario does not occur. These include the provision of strong reasons, evidence, and justifications for the integration of mass surveillance systems. In addition, every individual needs to be given an effective method of filing a complaint if he or she perceives that his or her privacy was violated. There needs to be punitive action or remedy when such occurrence takes place in order to hold surveillance agencies or organizations accountable.

Works Cited

Mass Surveillance. Privacy International, 2022.

Alexandrie, Gustav. Surveillance Cameras and Crime: A Review of Randomized and Natural Experiments. Journal of Scandinavian Studies in Criminology and Crime Prevention, vol. 18, no. 2, 2017, pp. 210-222.

Friedewald, Michael, et al. Surveillance, Privacy and Security. Routledge, 2017.

Orwell, George. 1984. Signet Classic, 1961.

Ribeiro-Navarrete, Samuel, et al. Towards A New Era of Mass Data Collection: Assessing Pandemic Surveillance Technologies to Preserve User Privacy. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, vol. 167, 2021, pp. 1-14.

Watt, Eliza. The Right to Privacy and The Future of Mass Surveillance. The International Journal of Human Rights, vol. 21, no. 7, 2017, pp. 773-799.

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The Big Brother Concept in Orwells 1984

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