We should watch out for increasing intrusions on our privacy.
Because the Antichrist will seek to force all to take his mark. At that time Christians will go into hiding. Moreover, the more apparatus the Antichrist possesses to invade their privacy and hunt them down, the more Christians he will round up for execution (see Rev. 13:7-17). And the less Christians will remain to lead others to Christ.
Not only are tech giants like Google, Facebook and Amazon becoming notorious for mining private data. They are also developing entire data-driven communities, such as the one in Hong Kong in the adjoining photo.
In another example, a Google-related Alphabet company has promised to change a broken-down Toronto waterfront area into the most technologically advanced neighbourhood in the world. They call it Quayside.
Sensor-scanned, data-driven
Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs plans to equip Quayside with multiple AI features. They include self-driving taxi-bots, snow-melting sidewalks and robotic garbage collectors. Various sensors would monitor air quality, park bench usage, and more. With much fanfare, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau approved the initiation of the Sidewalk Labs project in late 2017.
The problem is, this sensor-scanned, data-driven community could quickly turn into a surveillance district. A “Big Brother” could gain access to records of every move and spoken word. Already tech companies can follow, record and process much of our online activity.
Furthermore, Amazon Echo is always listening to indoor conversations. It can be easily triggered by spy devices to send those conversations into cloud storage. The more we make room for such intrusions into our privacy, the more we set ourselves up for the totalitarian control that the Antichrist will seek.
At the same time that Sidewalk Labs is making people’s lives more transparent, they are making their own operations more opaque. For example, they are evading inquiries into who will manage and govern the data. Sidewalk communications head Micah Lasher explains that they don’t want to unveil the ideas they are testing. “If you share them too early, they may seem half-baked. You might move away from them later.”
We can understand when companies want to protect their research and development (R&D) from their opponents and competition. But Sidewalk’s methods have aroused suspicions. In the wrong hands, such R&D could ultimately lead to a security state “fortress” in which only the powerful are secure.
The Antichrist “will honor a god of fortresses… He will take action against the strongest of fortresses… he will give great honor to those who acknowledge him and will cause them to rule over many, and will parcel out land for a price” (Dan. 11:38-39).
Challenges to this stronghold
Because they are concerned with impending rights violations, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association is suing the government to shut down the project. In addition, the #BlockSidewalk campaign exposed a proposed deal in which Sidewalk sought a portion of property taxes, development fees and increased land values. Its portion would amount to an estimated $6 billion over 30 years.
Sidewalk is also drawing criticism from the city council and the Waterfront Toronto advisory panel. As a result, several high-profile Waterfront Toronto and Sidewalk members have resigned or been dismissed. Moreover, the former privacy commissioner of Ontario resigned from a paid Sidewalk consulting role after its plans failed to meet her standards.
Sidewalk still needs final approval of several government bodies before it becomes a reality. In the meantime, 19 other cities around the world are pursuing smart city strategies.
With such potentially invasive strategies developing, we should do all we can to control the private data on our devices. And pray that no ill-meaning party will usurp that control.
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Controversy increases over Toronto smart city project.
