Name: Government surveillance — this is just the beginning
Uploaded: 2014-03-05T16:07:18Z
Duration: 8 min 5 s
Description: Privacy researcher Christopher Soghoian sees the landscape of government surveillance shifting beneath our feet, as an industry grows to support monitoring programs. Through private companies, he says, governments are buying technology with the capacity to break into computers, steal documents and monitor activity — without detection. This TED Fellow gives an unsettling look at what's to come.

Privacy researcher Christopher Soghoian sees the landscape of government surveillance shifting beneath our feet, as an industry grows to support monitoring programs. Through private companies, he says, governments are buying technology with the capacity to break into computers, steal documents and monitor activity — without detection. This TED Fellow gives an unsettling look at what's to come.

Government surveillance — this is just the beginning

As surveillance technology advances, governments worldwide can now hack into computers, activate webcams and microphones, and extract data—often without detection. After the Arab Spring, authoritarian regimes sought out Western-made tools to monitor activists and journalists, sometimes using free demos to spy on citizens. The global surveillance industry, worth billions, equips both democracies and dictatorships with powerful hacking capabilities. With no dedicated laws or public debate in places like the United States, the potential for abuse grows unchecked.

Spyware For Sale Turns Every Computer Into A Target

5 ways to keep your data safe

6 reasons to be on Apple’s side in its fight against the FBI

Internet

TED Fellows

business

government

surveillance

encryption

TED Stage Talk

Christopher Soghoian: Government surveillance — this is just the beginning