♪ NICOLE: THE LAST TIME "CHRONICLE " VENTURED INTO A SHOW ON SURVEILLANCE WAS 1996, LONG BEFORE THE TECHNOLOGY OF TODAY.
>> THE MOST DANGEROUS THING I SEE GOING ON IN THE REALM OF PRIVACY IS THE DISCOUNT CARDS FOR SUPERMARKETS.
THEY WILL KEEP A CONSTANT RECORD WHEN I GO TO THAT SUPERMARKET OF WHAT KIND OF ORANGE JUICE I DRINK, HOW OFTEN I DRINK IT.
NICOLE: IF ONLY WE COULD SEE INTO THE FUTURE.
THESE MEMBERSHIP CARDS, ONCE SEEN AS AN INVASIVE TRACKING TOOL, ARE ALMOST ARCHAIC WHEN YOU CONSIDER SOMETHING FAR MORE INSIDIOUS, AND IT IS PROBABLY IN YOUR POCKET -- YOUR CELL PHONE
IS LIKELY TRACKING YOUR EVERY MOVE.
WE USE THEM TO FIND OUR WAY, TAKE PICTURES, COMMUNICATE, PLAY GAMES.
OUR CELL PHONES HELP US KEEP TRACK OF OUR LIVES, AND THIRD PARTIES KEEP TRACK OF US.
>> OUR METADATA, WHICH IS OFTEN MORE REVEALING THAN THE CONTENT OF A COMMUNICATION BECAUSE IT SHOWS HOW OFTEN WE COMMUNICATE, WITH WHOM, WHERE WE ARE PHYSICALLY LOCATED.
WHEN YOU PIECE THE ALTOGETHER, IT CAN PAINT A PICTURE OF SOMEONE THAT IS EVEN MORE DETAILED AND ACCURATE THAN SOMEONE MAY EVEN KNOW ABOUT THEMSELVES.
NICOLE: KATE CRAWFORD WITH THE ACLU AGREED TO TAKE A LOOK AT MY PHONE TO FIGURE OUT HOW I AM GIVING MY STORY AWAY.
WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A PROCESS.
TURNS OUT A COUPLE OF CLICKS, LESS THAN 10 SECONDS AND A COMPLETE DETAILED LOG OF MY DIGITAL FOOTPRINT, NEARLY EVERYWHERE I HAVE BEEN IN THE LAST MONTH, IS REVEALED, RIGHT
DOWN TO THE TIME.
BUT C CRAWFORD POINTS OUT IT IS NOT SO MUCH THE DEVICE AS IT IS THE APPS.
>> A LOT OF THESE APPS ARE THE FLAVOR OF THE WEEK.
LIKE MAKE YOUR FACE INTO CUTE DOG EARS OR WHATEVER.
TAKE A PICTURE OF YOURSELF AND IT TELLS YOU HOW OLD IT THINKS YOU ARE.
THESE ARE DESIGNED TO HARVEST PERSONAL INFORMATION.
NICOLE: AND OUR DATA IS PACKAGED AND SOLD.
WHAT IS MORE, DATA CAN BE STORED ALMOST INDEFINITELY IN THE LATE 1960’S, ONE MEGABYTE HARD DRIVE COST $1 MILLION.
TODAY, ABOUT TWO CENTS.
>> DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU WERE SIX MONTH AGO IN THIS MOMENT?
YOUR CELL PHONE COMPANY DOES.
NICOLE: GOOGLE IS WORKING WITH POLICE TO HELP SOLVE MAJOR CRIMES IF YOU HAVE LOCATION SERVICES ON WITH GOOGLE, A DATABASE PROVIDES DETAILED LOCATION RECORDS.
HERE IS HOW IT WORKS.
SAY THERE IS A SERIOUS CRIME ON BOYLSTON STREET AROUND 7:00 P.M.
GOOGLE HAS THE ABILITY TO SOURCE ALL DEVICES IN THAT AREA AT THAT TIME AND PULL IDENTIFICATION RECORDS.
THINK ABOUT IT.
THERE ARE 396 MILLION CELL PHONE ACCOUNTS IN THE U.S.
THIS HELPS POLICE NARROW IT DOWN TO A FEW OPTIONS.
AT M.I.T., GREAT MINDS ARE ALREADY WORKING ON THE TECHNOLOGY OF THE FUTURE.
PROFESSOR DANNY WHITESNER IS FOCUSING ON HOW TECHNOLOGY MIGHT PLAY INTO IT.
>> I DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE IDEA THAT INSTITUTIS HAVE INFORMATION ABOUT ME.
I WORRY THERE ARE NO CONTROLS ON WHAT THEY CAN DO WITH IT, AND I WORRY THAT WE HAVE NOT DEFINED LINES CLEARLY ENOUGH THAT SAY IF YOU CROSS THIS BOUNDARY, YOU ARE BREAKING THE LAW.
INDIVIDUALS SHOULD NOT FEEL OVERWHELMED BY CHE AXES AND OK -- CHECK BOXES AND OK BUTTONS THAT WE ARE GETTING CONFRONTED WITH THAT WE MOSTLY DO NOT UNDERSTAND.
NICOLE WITH NO CLEAR LAWS GOVERNING PRIVATE COMPANIES, M.I.T. CAME UP WITH AN IDEA.
PARTNER FUTURE INNOVATORS WITH FUTURE LEGAL INTERPRETERS AT GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY.
>> WHEN WE STARTED TEACHING IT, WE THOUGHT WHAT WE WERE TEACHING WAS ABOUT PRIVACY LAW AND TECHNOLOGY.
WHAT WE ARE ACTUALLY TEACHIN HIS LAWYERS AND COMPUTER SCIENTISTS HOW TO WORK TOGETHER.
EVERY YEAR, THERE IS AT LEAST ONE GROUP OF STUDENTS WHO ALMO COME TO BLOWS BECAUSE THEY ARE SO EXASPERATED AT THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WAY THEY UNDERSTAND THE WORLD.
NICOLE: A ETHICAL EXPLORATION AHEAD OF UNEXPLORED TERRITORY TO AVOID DATA SURVEILLANCE FROM HAVING A CHILLING EFFECT ON HUMAN BEHAVIOR.
>> IF WE CAN DO THAT, I THINK WE CAN LIVE HAPPILY IN THIS VERY INFORMATION RICH ENVIRONMENT.
IF WE DON’T DO THAT RIGHT, WE END U MAKING LOTS OF PEOPLE FEEL ONE NOTCH TOO NERVOUS, ONE NOTCH TOO CAUTIOUS, ONE NOTCH TOO QUIET, AND WE HAVE CHANGED THE CHARACTER OF OUR SOCIETY.
I DON’T THINK WE WANT TO DO THAT.
NICOLE: RAISE YOUR HAND, UNFORTUNATELY ME, IF YOU USED THE FACE APP THE FIND OUT WHAT YOU WILL LOOK LIKE IN A COUPLE DECADES.
ANTHONY: I DIDN’T.
I LOOKED INTO IT AND FOUND OUT IT WAS A RUSSIAN COMPANY AND THEY ARE COLLECTING DATA ON YOU.
I SAID, NOT FOR ME.
NICOLE: IF THAT IS NOT SCARY ENOUGH TO FIND OUT WHAT YOU WILL LOOK LIKE AT 80, THEY HAVE ACCESS TO OUR ICLOUD PICTURES.
ANTHONY: WE ARE GIVING THIS AWAY WITH OUR OWN CONSENT EVERY TIME WE BRING DOWN AN APP AND AGREE.
WE ARE VOLUNTARILY PUTTING THIS AWAY.
AT THIS POINT, YOU LIKELY HAVE A