Big Brother and The Police State
From The Times
January 16, 2008
How computer spy in the office will monitor everything you do
David Brown, Elizabeth Judge
Every aspect of computer users’ lives — from their heartbeat to a
guilty smile — could be monitored and immediately analysed under the
futuristic system detailed in Microsoft’s patent application.
Details of the planned “Big Brother” system are revealed in an
application to the US Patent and Trademark Office, seen by The Times,
over seventeen pages of text with ten diagrams.
The systems work not only through desktop or laptop computers but even
through mobile phones or handheld PCs, meaning that even out of the
office the employee can still be monitored. In its most advanced
format, the system will monitor users’ private interests.
The system works by recording and analysing what words and numbers are
used or websites visited, and by watching the user’s heart rate,
breathing, body temperature, facial expressions and blood pressure. The
patent application explains: “The system can also automatically detect
frustrations or stress in the user via physiological and environmental
sensors and then offer or provide some assistance accordingly.”
There is a recognition that humans can have significant differences so
all users will be given a “baseline” for normal physiological readings
based on their body type and personality in recognition that these
could affect their physical or emotional responses.
The patent gives the example of “an elevated heart rate during a tax
return preparation may be considered normal for one user and not an
indication that help is needed, but for another user, the inverse may
be true”.
Every response will be analysed in “real time” to allow the computer to
decide what action should be taken.
The patent application says: “From this data, statistics related to
performance, success rate, frequency of problem, and the like, can be
provided to users or can be employed to gauge a target user’s success,
performance, or efficiency with respect to other users.”
One scenario given in the patent is of Joe, who is “spending more time
on an activity than was originally allotted [by the system] and as a
result may not meet his deadline for the project”.
The next step is for the computer to select the most suitable employees
by “comparing the performance of people working on similar activities
and finding the best people for those types of activities such as for
future assignment”.
But the system described does more than just measure workload. It can
test for honesty of those activities “performed successfully but not in
accordance with company or government policies”.
Heart rates, sweating and facial expressions are already used by law
enforcement agencies to detect wrongdoing. Now an employee’s laptop
will be able to identify the fraudulent expenses claim or the illegal
contract offer. The patent explains: “Monitoring user activity can
facilitate auditing how activities are performed to look for or isolate
patterns of user problems, abuse, common errors incurred by users, or
to ensure company/government policies are complied with.”
The “Monitoring System 500” allows groups of users to watch and monitor
each other. Microsoft says the 500 can “enhance social experiences
among users by binding them or bringing them users together based on a
target activity”.
As an example it can “locate people that are watching a particular TV
programmes at the same time or are performing a similar activity at the
same time. Discussion groups or social events can be generated as a
result.”
However, Microsoft’s vision of a world where the microchip replaces the
middle manager has been greeted with caution by British business.
Stephen Alambritis, of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “We
always say the best approach is the personal touch. We would urge
smaller employers to err away from this kind of software. It will sour
industrial relations.” David Frost, the director-general of the British
Chambers of Commerce, said: “The trust that exists between employer and
employee will be undermined if staff feel they are under constant
surveillance.”
Ben Willmott, employee relations adviser at the Chartered Institute of
Personnel and Development, said: “Our research into employees shows
that where individuals feel they are under excessive monitoring or
surveillance they tend to have a negative attitude towards their
employer and are therefore less likely to be motivated and committed.
Employers who consider introducing this need to think twice.”
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This is a Public Service Announcement From:
The Good News Ministry and Missions Outreach
All The Good News Of Bible Prophecy
World News Net
Sincerely,
Pastor Dale Morgan