The latest news about YouTube collecting selfies for AI-powered age verification has me genuinely concerned, and frankly, it should worry all of us. We’re witnessing another step in what feels like an inevitable march toward a surveillance state, wrapped up in the familiar packaging of “protecting the children.”

Don’t get me wrong - I understand the impulse to protect kids online. I’ve got a teenage daughter myself, and the internet can be a minefield for young people. But there’s something deeply unsettling about a mega-corporation like Google (YouTube’s parent company) building vast databases of our biometric data under the guise of age verification. It’s the classic privacy erosion playbook: identify a legitimate concern, propose a solution that massively overreaches, then act like anyone who objects doesn’t care about children’s safety.

Been following this whole Coldplay concert kiss cam drama that’s been doing the rounds online, and it’s got me thinking about something that goes way beyond celebrity gossip or infidelity scandals. The incident itself is almost beside the point - what really bothers me is this casual acceptance we seem to have developed around being filmed, broadcast, and potentially humiliated for the sake of “entertainment.”

The whole thing started when someone asked a pretty reasonable question about the legal implications of kiss cams and audience filming at concerts. They wondered about consent, about the fine print we never read, about whether we actually agree to having our most vulnerable moments broadcast to thousands of people. But instead of engaging with that important question, most of the discussion devolved into moral judgments about the people caught on camera.

Been thinking a lot lately about how our suburbs are quietly transforming into something that would make Orwell raise an eyebrow. What started as a discussion about neighbourhood surveillance tech has got me wondering: when did keeping an eye out for actual crime turn into keeping tabs on anyone who dares to be different?

The whole thing reminds me of walking through some of Melbourne’s newer housing estates - you know the ones, where every second house has a Ring doorbell and there’s a Neighbourhood Watch sticker on every telegraph pole. There’s this sterile, watchful quality to these places that feels fundamentally different from the communities I grew up in. Back then, if someone was acting suspicious, Mrs Henderson from next door would actually talk to them, not immediately start livestreaming to a Facebook group.

I’ve been reading about the latest expansion of digital surveillance programs in the US, and frankly, it’s keeping me up at night. The reports coming out about ICE and other agencies quietly expanding their contracts with private firms to monitor social media activity aren’t just troubling—they’re a glimpse into a future that feels uncomfortably familiar to anyone who’s read their history books.

The scope of what’s happening is staggering. We’re not talking about monitoring specific threats or criminal activity. These systems are designed to flag “negative opinions” about government operations, map out dissent, and link online activity to real-world identities. Your face, your phone, your location, your contacts, even your relatives—all fair game in this digital dragnet.

Scrolling through tech news this morning, I came across something that made me both hopeful and deeply frustrated at the same time. Google’s rolling out a new feature in Android 16 that can detect fake cell towers - those sneaky “stingray” devices that law enforcement and other actors use to intercept your phone communications. On one hand, it’s brilliant that our phones might finally warn us when we’re being spied on. On the other hand, the fact that we need this protection at all says everything about the surveillance state we’re living in.

Reading about Malaysia’s recent demands for telcos to hand over detailed phone records and internet usage data sent a chill down my spine. Not just because it’s happening in our neighbouring region, but because it feels like watching history repeat itself with frightening predictability.

The news transported me back to 2013 when Edward Snowden’s revelations about mass surveillance programs shook the world. Back then, many of us in the tech industry suspected something was amiss, but the scale of it was still shocking. Now, sitting in my home office and reading about Malaysia’s move, I’m struck by how familiar this playbook has become.

The recent news from Texas about law enforcement using automated license plate readers to track down a woman who had a self-managed abortion sent chills down my spine. Sitting here in my home office, looking out at the growing number of surveillance cameras dotting our own streets, I can’t help but think about how quickly we’re sliding into a surveillance state that would make George Orwell’s nightmares seem tame.

Remember when we thought CCTV cameras were invasive? Those seem almost quaint now compared to the vast networks of automated license plate readers (ALPRs) being deployed across cities worldwide. These systems, often operated by private companies, create massive databases of our movements, accessible to law enforcement without the traditional checks and balances of warrants or judicial oversight.

Remember when we used to laugh at dystopian novels? Those far-fetched stories about governments watching our every move seemed like pure fiction. Well, the latest news about Trump’s plan to create a comprehensive database of all Americans through Palantir has me reaching for my dog-eared copy of 1984.

The irony isn’t lost on me that a company named after the all-seeing stones from Lord of the Rings - tools that corrupted their users - is spearheading this effort. Peter Thiel’s tech company, which has already raised eyebrows with its surveillance capabilities, will now potentially have unprecedented access to consolidated data about every American citizen.

Remember those old spy movies where someone would discover a hidden camera and immediately change their behavior? Today, that’s not just a movie plot - it’s our daily reality. The other day, while setting up my new smart doorbell (yes, I know the irony), I found myself wondering about how these devices are fundamentally changing our behavior.

Living in the digital age means accepting a certain level of surveillance. My smart TV probably knows more about my viewing habits than my wife does. The apps on my iPhone track my location, my fitness data, and probably know when I’m having a cheeky scroll through social media during work hours. Even my daily coffee run to that little place on Degraves Street is logged somewhere in the digital ether through my payment app.

Remember when browsers were just tools to access the internet? Those simpler days seem increasingly distant as I read about Perplexity’s latest announcement regarding their new browser that plans to track “everything users do online” for hyper-personalized advertising. The brazenness of this declaration is both shocking and sadly unsurprising.

The tech industry’s relentless push toward surveillance capitalism has reached a new milestone. Gone are the days of subtle privacy invasions buried in lengthy terms of service agreements. Now, companies proudly announce their intentions to monitor every aspect of our digital lives, packaging it as a feature rather than the privacy nightmare it truly is.

Looking at the recent news about Discord implementing face scanning for age verification, I’m struck by a familiar sinking feeling. The same one I got when Facebook started pushing for real names, when Instagram began demanding phone numbers, and now as Discord joins the parade of platforms wanting to scan our faces.

The justification seems reasonable enough on the surface - protecting minors online is crucial. But there’s something deeply unsettling about a company that already has a questionable track record with privacy now wanting biometric data from its users. This is the same platform that has consistently refused to implement end-to-end encryption, claiming it would only benefit criminals.

Reading about a journalist’s investigation into police surveillance cameras in rural Virginia sent chills down my spine this morning. The investigation revealed an extensive network of automated license plate readers (ALPRs) tracking vehicles across hundreds of miles, and it got me thinking about our own surveillance situation here.

Remember when the biggest privacy concern was speed cameras on the Eastern Freeway? Those days seem quaint now. We’re living in an era where our movements are constantly monitored, logged, and stored in databases that can be accessed with frightening ease.

The recent news about the UK government ordering Apple to disable Advanced Data Protection has sent shockwaves through the tech community, and rightfully so. This isn’t just another local policy decision - it’s a concerning move that could have global implications for digital privacy.

Standing at my desk in my home office, looking at my iPhone and MacBook, I’m struck by the irony of the situation. Here we are, living in an era where digital security is more crucial than ever, yet governments seem determined to tear down the very protections we need.

The recent exodus of TikTok users to RedNote has left me both fascinated and deeply troubled. While sitting in my home office, watching this digital migration unfold, I can’t shake the feeling that we’re witnessing something more significant than just another app-switching trend.

The supposed logic behind this move is striking - users are protesting TikTok’s potential ban by jumping to an app with even stronger ties to the very concerns that sparked the ban discussion in the first place. It’s like watching someone protest food safety regulations by deliberately eating at an establishment with worse health violations.

Remember when mobile apps were just fun little diversions? Looking at the recent Wired article about location tracking through apps feels like watching a horror movie where the call is coming from inside the house. The scale of surveillance through seemingly innocent apps like Candy Crush and MyFitnessPal is staggering.

The tech industry has been playing fast and loose with our data for years, but this revelation takes it to a new level. Even when you explicitly deny location permissions, advertisers can still track you through IP addresses, WiFi networks, and even Bluetooth signals. The sheer number of compromised apps - over 15,000 - is mind-boggling. Just scrolling through the list made my stomach turn.

The recent revelation about Motorola’s ALPR systems leaking live video feeds and vehicle data has got me thinking about the surveillance state we’ve sleepwalked into. Sitting in traffic on Hoddle Street this morning, I found myself counting the number of cameras pointing at my car - traffic cameras, security cameras, and who knows what else.

Remember when we thought automatic number plate recognition was just about catching unregistered vehicles and toll dodgers? Those were simpler times. Now we’re learning that in just 20 minutes, one of these systems in Nashville captured data from nearly 1,000 vehicles. That’s not just license plates - we’re talking about detailed information about vehicle makes, models, and even photos.

Remember when the internet felt like the wild west of freedom and anonymity? Those days seem increasingly distant, particularly with the recent revelations about Reddit’s deepening integration with Google’s surveillance infrastructure.

Looking through my browser’s developer tools this morning, I noticed something disturbing - Reddit’s new interface (affectionately nicknamed “shreddit” by many) pings Google’s reCAPTCHA servers on every single page load. Not just during login, but every single time you view anything. This goes far beyond the typical bot prevention measures we’re familiar with.

Remember when we used to joke about people walking around with computers on their faces? Well, that future is here, and it’s far more unsettling than we imagined. Recently, two clever university students demonstrated just how vulnerable we all are to surveillance by combining smart glasses with facial recognition and data mining.

The demonstration was honestly chilling. These students managed to modify a pair of smart glasses to identify random people on the street, pulling up their personal information in real-time. Phone numbers, addresses, and other private details - all available at a glance. The most disturbing part? One demonstration showed a woman who, upon hearing the student mention details about their previous connection, immediately felt at ease speaking with a complete stranger.