You don't have to be a spy with a glass against the wall to eavesdrop these days. In fact, you have a harder time not overhearing conversations. People are so wrapped up in their own worlds that they don't seem to care that others are listening. Could be the next table at Starbucks, or the people on the street, or the guy on his cell phone with the earbuds screwed in tight. They all act as if they were alone, and carry on regardless of you standing next to them.
That enables you to be either annoyed or amused by the show. OverheardEverywhere.com posts some of the choicest bits. The high school girl, ranting to a friend about biology class: "It's so annoying - I hate evolution! I'm like 'God created it' and that's all we need to know. We don't have to go all hi-def into it!" Or the guy on the cell phone: "So what are we doing after bible study? Beers? Ladies?" Or the couple breaking up on a street corner. She: "I can't believe you're ditching me! You will never, never, never find a girl like me in your entire life again!" He: "And THAT is the point."
These days it's a situation that occurs even in your own home. Not by your family, though they might have an ear cocked as well. Apple's HomePod, Amazon's Echo and Google's Home listen for their wakeup word or phrase, then set your kitchen timers or cue up your music or turn on your lights. But it's just a trigger, right? It's not actually "listening" to you, right? Well, no, it is, and unless you opt out, likely recording it as well. Each company has your permission for that buried in the fine print of their devices and services. They say it is only for R&D and to make their systems better. But where there is personal data there is potential for abuse. And judges have been known to allow subpoenas for those recordings for use in criminal investigations. Like Kelsey Grammar used to say on "Frasier," a sitcom about a psychologist with a radio show, "Good afternoon, Seattle. I'm listening."
And it doesn't stop with just audio. All those other connected devices in your life are effectively listening to your actions. Your connected garage door opener knows what time you leave and when you come home. Your connected lights know when you turn in for the night and what time you wake up. And your connected GPS knows where you go and how you get there. In short, listening is not just about sound, it's what about what you do. And the picture of you fills in a little more with each thing you add, if someone cares enough to take a look.
You can try and safeguard your life, but it's likely a losing battle. As the internet of things expands, there are more and more opportunities to track your comings and goings, and for others to learn about them. If you're a staunch defender of privacy, you might well be alarmed. And this is indeed one of those times that being paranoid doesn't mean you are wrong.
Then again, all it takes is a little caution sometimes to prevent prying eyes. On a recent flight, I took my seat next to an older woman. She smiled at me, and then very distinctly put her elbows on the armrest. When I leaned on it a bit as well, she moved hers forward, staking her claim in no uncertain terms. Not wanting to deal with it I drew back, pulled out my book and ceded the space. Some things aren't worth fighting over.
A bit later she pulled out a large journal and began writing in it. As we hit cruising altitude, she gazed out the window, closed her eyes and fell asleep. The journal, open in her lap, was too tempting a target for me. I glanced over to see a comment about the flight attendant, one about the weather, then this: "Skirmished successfully for the armrest with the moderately bulky gentlemen on the aisle."
Moderately bulky? I'm trying to watch what I eat. Still, the moral is that you eavesdrop (or in this case, eavesread) at your own peril. You might just find out inconvenient truths not about another, but about yourself.
-END-
Marc Wollin of Bedford loves to listen as he walks down the street. His column appears regularly in The Record-Review, The Scarsdale Inquirer and online at http://www.glancingaskance.blogspot.com/, as well as via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
That enables you to be either annoyed or amused by the show. OverheardEverywhere.com posts some of the choicest bits. The high school girl, ranting to a friend about biology class: "It's so annoying - I hate evolution! I'm like 'God created it' and that's all we need to know. We don't have to go all hi-def into it!" Or the guy on the cell phone: "So what are we doing after bible study? Beers? Ladies?" Or the couple breaking up on a street corner. She: "I can't believe you're ditching me! You will never, never, never find a girl like me in your entire life again!" He: "And THAT is the point."
These days it's a situation that occurs even in your own home. Not by your family, though they might have an ear cocked as well. Apple's HomePod, Amazon's Echo and Google's Home listen for their wakeup word or phrase, then set your kitchen timers or cue up your music or turn on your lights. But it's just a trigger, right? It's not actually "listening" to you, right? Well, no, it is, and unless you opt out, likely recording it as well. Each company has your permission for that buried in the fine print of their devices and services. They say it is only for R&D and to make their systems better. But where there is personal data there is potential for abuse. And judges have been known to allow subpoenas for those recordings for use in criminal investigations. Like Kelsey Grammar used to say on "Frasier," a sitcom about a psychologist with a radio show, "Good afternoon, Seattle. I'm listening."
And it doesn't stop with just audio. All those other connected devices in your life are effectively listening to your actions. Your connected garage door opener knows what time you leave and when you come home. Your connected lights know when you turn in for the night and what time you wake up. And your connected GPS knows where you go and how you get there. In short, listening is not just about sound, it's what about what you do. And the picture of you fills in a little more with each thing you add, if someone cares enough to take a look.
You can try and safeguard your life, but it's likely a losing battle. As the internet of things expands, there are more and more opportunities to track your comings and goings, and for others to learn about them. If you're a staunch defender of privacy, you might well be alarmed. And this is indeed one of those times that being paranoid doesn't mean you are wrong.
Then again, all it takes is a little caution sometimes to prevent prying eyes. On a recent flight, I took my seat next to an older woman. She smiled at me, and then very distinctly put her elbows on the armrest. When I leaned on it a bit as well, she moved hers forward, staking her claim in no uncertain terms. Not wanting to deal with it I drew back, pulled out my book and ceded the space. Some things aren't worth fighting over.
A bit later she pulled out a large journal and began writing in it. As we hit cruising altitude, she gazed out the window, closed her eyes and fell asleep. The journal, open in her lap, was too tempting a target for me. I glanced over to see a comment about the flight attendant, one about the weather, then this: "Skirmished successfully for the armrest with the moderately bulky gentlemen on the aisle."
Moderately bulky? I'm trying to watch what I eat. Still, the moral is that you eavesdrop (or in this case, eavesread) at your own peril. You might just find out inconvenient truths not about another, but about yourself.
-END-
Marc Wollin of Bedford loves to listen as he walks down the street. His column appears regularly in The Record-Review, The Scarsdale Inquirer and online at http://www.glancingaskance.blogspot.com/, as well as via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
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