The Tool in My Hand, the Weapon Aimed at Me

“The youngest in our house is a spy!”

Hello everyone! Let’s start today with an interesting question. When you wake up in the morning, who do you talk to first? Family? Or a partner? Many of you probably start your day by saying, “Alexa, what’s the weather today?” or “Okay Google, play some upbeat music!” These smart devices are truly helpful tools that make our daily lives easier.

However, in Brad Smith’s book Tools and Weapons, he says, “Every technology can be both a tool and a weapon.” Today, I want to talk about how this idea of a “weapon” isn’t just about grand cyber wars between nations, but about a very personal and quiet battle happening right in our living rooms and at our front doors. Ready?

1. Why Are Companies So Interested in Us?

The story begins with the smart devices we love so much. Let’s start with the smart speakers mentioned earlier.

A Friend Who’s Always Listening

It seems like they’re quiet until we say, “Hey Siri!” but in reality, these devices are always listening attentively, waiting to hear if they’re being called. Manufacturers claim they don’t save conversations outside of commands, but it’s now an open secret that sometimes, due to errors, sounds of couples arguing or scolding children can be sent to servers.

Moreover, there are even patented technologies now that analyze not just what we say but the emotions behind our words to tailor advertisements. For example, if you speak in a slightly sad voice, you might get ads for comforting products instead of upbeat music. It’s convenient, but doesn’t it feel a bit unsettling?

Invisible Business: Surveillance Capitalism

This raises a fundamental question: “Why do companies want to know so much about us?” The answer lies in a massive business model called Surveillance Capitalism. It sounds complicated, so let me explain.

In this world, we are not customers to companies. We are more like ‘free raw materials.’ Our words, actions, emotions, and even health status are raw materials that companies turn into money. They collect these materials to create “prediction products” like “this person is likely to buy sneakers soon” or “this person has an 80% chance of traveling next week.” These prediction products are then sold at high prices to other advertising companies.

In the end, smart devices collecting our data is not just a feature but the core of their business. The real price of all the free services we use is our very lives.

2. The Dangerous Tug-of-War Over My Information

But it’s not just companies after our information. There’s a powerful player called the government. This is where the tense tug-of-war between companies and governments over our personal data begins.

“Hand Over the Key!” Government vs. “Absolutely Not!” Companies

A symbolic event that showed this tug-of-war to the world was the 2015 Apple vs. FBI showdown. After a horrific shooting, the perpetrator’s iPhone held crucial clues. The FBI demanded Apple create a backdoor to unlock the phone for investigation.

It might seem reasonable for Apple to cooperate with the government. But Apple declared to the world, “Absolutely not!” Why? Because once such a backdoor exists, the key could fall into the hands of not only terrorists but also dictators or hackers, turning it into a ‘universal weapon’ threatening the privacy of every iPhone user worldwide. This case clearly showed the conflict between companies protecting our data and governments seeking it for national security.

But… What If They Join Hands?

It would be great if companies like Apple fought alongside us against the government, right? But no. Sometimes, they quietly team up to watch us even more closely. This is the story of the smart doorbell on your front door.

Many of you use Amazon’s smart doorbell called ‘Ring.’ We install this ’tool’ with the good intention of ‘home safety.’ But this company partners with police departments across the U.S. When police say, “Hey, there’s an incident in this neighborhood, let’s check the footage,” residents often provide videos through the app without a warrant, thinking they’re doing a good deed.

How does this compare to the Apple case? It’s completely different. Instead of fighting, companies and governments join forces under the plausible cause of ‘community safety.’ The private camera you bought with your own money becomes, without your knowledge, a police CCTV and a corporate data collection device. In this clever cooperation, the idea of ‘my privacy’ loses its power.

Of course, sometimes governments act as protectors, like the European Union’s GDPR, enforcing strict laws to tell companies, “Don’t mishandle citizens’ data!” But we must always remember that the direction of this tug-of-war can change at any time.

The Real Owner Is ‘Me’

Is this getting a bit heavy? I’m not saying we should reject technology and retreat to the mountains. But there is something we must know.

Technology has two sides. Companies and governments use it for their own interests. In this dangerous tug-of-war, the power to protect our information ultimately comes from ourselves.

We must demand transparency from companies, monitor government power abuse, and constantly ask ourselves, “What is the true cost of this convenience?” Never forget that the true owner of my data is not the giant corporations or powerful governments, but me myself.