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10 October 2015

Privacy and Communication

We expect both privacy and honesty to some extent and in varying degrees, depending on the situation. It is unlikely that technology will make mind-reading a possibility at any point in the near future, but what if it could? How might unlimited communication impact our expectations of privacy and honesty?

Much of science fiction has focused on surveillance, but even if such technology could be implemented without engendering a police state, the nature of privacy and honesty would be irreparably changed. Might not a parent expect to be allowed to read their child’s mind? Might not a lover expect their lover to share their thoughts? Would refusal constitute a breach of honesty, much like keeping a secret divides loved ones today?

Clearly, these questions have no answers. But, thankfully, this technology also has no recourses. There is no clear evidence that it will ever be possible, and, for now, we may safely ignore its troubling implications.