The Anxieties of Big Data, Kate Crawford
Art, Activism, and CCTV
The Anxieties of Big Data by Kate Crawford discusses the ways in which big data collection affect users on an every day social context. In recent years, the public has started to become more aware of their thinning privacy and increasing surveillance by the United States government. Much of this surveillance has been defended as being in place for the safety of the general public, especially in a post September 11th with the fear of terrorism being a main threat. In 2013, Edward Snowden, a former employee of the National Security Agency (NSA) came forward leaking documents to the media stating that would show the United States government was performing illegal and unethical surveillance on other countries and it’s own citizens.
The Anxieties of Big Data discusses the type of society that is evolving as a result of big data collection.
Interestingly, Crawford mentions that the reality of big data is surveillant anxiety. She defines this term as “the fear that all the data we are shedding every day is too revealing of our intimate selves, but may also misrepresent us.”
Crawford also references Plan C’s manifesto, “We Are All Very Anxious”, to address a significant problem society faces today, arguing that anxiety is the affect of our current structure of capitalism that is the causation of political apathy, insecurity, and social segregation.
Crawford also argues that anxiety comes in two places – the anxiety of the surveilled and the anxiety of the surveillers. This is a crucial catch 22 in the surveillance divide. The general public is told their safety is at risk which enables the surveillance, but the surveillers become increasingly skeptical of the public. Then, as Crawford describes, the actions of those exercising control of data collection are hidden by government documents that the public does not have access to. As their actions remain hidden, the public becomes defenseless as to what is being done with their information and remains blind to any real intentions.
Many people have accepted data collection as an increasing part of every day life. The question that has been apparent however, especially since Snowdens leak of government documents, is how much this data collection really benefits the public. Crawford describes the “current mythology” of big data as being more data = more accuracy, more truth. Many argue however that this just isn’t true, and correlation doesn’t imply causation. Many worry, understandably so, that big data leaves too large a chance of misunderstanding.
Crawford expands her argument to everyday trends and fashion. She uses the current style of “Normcore” as an explanation of consumer anxiety and being a reaction to surveillance. Normcore addresses how blending in was once a tactic used by protestors (ex. Occupy Wallstreet) to avoid police detection and surveillance. As big data collection increases however, blending in is now more important than ever, and everyone must partake.
Art, Activism, and CCTV
Dead Drops- Adam Barthol – art project that involves exchanging files through USB devices in public places
“Creativity generates tactics. Art can be a weapon. It is valuable enough to society that forces of power have worked to subvert it.”
System Azure- Jill Magid –
What’s interesting to point out here is the way the perception changes when someone approaches a situation as an artist versus other jobs titled “professional.”
Discussion Questions:
1. Do you think your privacy is a fair trade off for the feeling of safety?
2. Do you think someones online data is an accurate representation of them as a person? Could they be misconstrued?
3. Do you think every day users have any control over the future of big data collection?
4. In what ways do you think data collection has benefitted your safety and/or general well being and happiness? In what ways has it inhibited?
5. What anxieties do you think surveillers experience versus the anxieties that those being surveilled?
6. Why do you think the police rejected her proposal after finding out she was an artist? What is the power in being an artist in these situation
39 Comments
Both Kate Crawford and Joanne McNeil bring up great points in regards to how big data is changing the ways in which we are behaving. Crawford mainly discusses the cultural changes that are occurring due to big data. She sees K Holes article on normcore as something that was created due to the heavy surveillance being undergone in society. By looking at what happened to people during the Occupy Wall Street protests where protestors were encouraged to blend in as tourists so they had less of a chance being arrested, blending in gave the protestors power. This has now translated into the culture, style and actions by many people today. She’s justifying the need to blend-in in order to not stand out against the big data agencies that are always monitoring them. While at the same time these big data agencies keep trying to create new ways in collecting data to learn about what people are doing in order to collect as much as they can. Crawford mentions how these twinned anxieties are creating a loop as people continually try to hide themselves more and while big data keeps trying to learn more about what populations at large are doing.
To bounce off of ideas mentioned by Crawford, McNeil brings up artists bringing up attention to them. She looks at artists like Aram Bartholl and his dead drops that were similar to the dead drops used by spies. By mentioning bigger movements such as occupy and act-up she’s discussing how art is able to create these direct engagement between politics and technology. Jill Magid’s System Azure, basically bedazzling CCTV cameras is just one example of how artists are able to create discourse and have individuals break down their current understanding of CCTV cameras for closer examination. McNeil is able to focus on what artists are doing to get individuals thinking more about these topics on surveillance that Crawford highlights when looking into the age of big data.
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