Re: <nettime> In the eye of the Cambridge Analytica storm

[carlo von lynX <lynX@time.to.get.psyced.org>]

On Fri, Mar 23, 2018 at 09:01:23AM +0530, sebastian@rolux.org wrote:
> here in bombay, no-one cares about the cambridge analytica storm.

Yes, humanity has always had a problem focusing on the important
things. It is easier to focus on the symptoms of bad global
governance bringing us...

> wind from the east, an unprecedented heatwave, the aadhar
> cyclone, and a series of savage social media shitstorms

... and more, while the systematic exploitation of our cognitive
biases is making it less and less likely that we will ever be
able to exercise global democracy, thus fix our global governance
so that the symptoms you mention can be tackled.

So, among the garbage dumps and nuclear reactor, the greatest
problem for humanity right now is indeed Facebook and Cambridge
Analytica - even if it is less than the tip of the iceberg.
The mere fact that this is finally getting a bit of attention
is a great step in the right direction.

Leaving Facebook is an interesting idea, but it only works if we
can get all psychologically gullible people off of it.. that means
everyone, not just our little bubble - because we are all gullible.

Also, what about all the Google fonts included on just about every
website, collecting information on every little click of ours?
I can imagine shipping a web browser that stops all third party
inclusions and surveillance tools.. but my experience in practice
is that most people just perceive it as broken when most of the
commercial websites stop working.

We need regulation. Worldwide regulation. This is not a problem
that we can solve by buying organic and boycotting Walmart.


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