George Orwell's novel 1984 depicted a suffocating society under the total control of a government that dictated historical truth and limited expression. Today, some thinkers warn of the disturbing similarity between that fiction and elements of the current world, where the idea of a 'Ministry of Truth' or a 'Thought Police' no longer seems so distant.
In the national context, legal frameworks have been developed that, in the opinion of some, recall this dystopian vision. From legislation to intervene in free opinion in cases of apology for terrorism, to the penalization of opinions considered offensive against minorities, there is a trend towards regulating thought. Significant resources have been invested in constructing a historical narrative antagonistic to a dictatorship that ended half a century ago, an effort considered late and useless for new generations.
Driven by a society that cedes freedom in exchange for a false sense of security, governments have increased their surveillance over the governed. The technological revolution has allowed an unprecedented intrusion into private life, subjected to total scrutiny in the public interest.
The technological revolution has facilitated an unprecedented intrusion into private life. The control of cash, surveillance cameras in public spaces, and algorithms that process personal data are examples of how citizens' lives are under constant scrutiny. Confidential data, in the hands of administrations and large corporations, is vulnerable to cyber pirates, while biometric controls create a bank of digital identities that allows for global location of individuals.
However, this surveillance is not unidirectional. Citizens, through social networks and mobile devices, have become watchers of power. Every phone is a portable camera capable of capturing moments of public figures or politicians, and millions of anonymous correspondents disseminate information in real-time. Power, once hidden, is now exposed in a 'Petri dish' under the microscope of media society.
This dynamic has led to today's 'Big Brother' being more watched than watching. Official propaganda is perceived as ineffective self-defense, and any attempt to establish a 'Ministry of Truth' is overwhelmed by the multitude of voices and chaotic versions circulating in the digital sphere. Popular lies, often, prove more attractive than the official narrative.
