¿Por qué me vigilan, si no soy nadie? | Marta Peirano | TEDxMadrid

Summary

This script discusses the pervasive nature of data collection in modern society, highlighting the case of Malte Spitz, who obtained extensive records of his personal data from Deutsche Telekom. It illustrates how mobile phones and technology create a digital footprint that can be monitored and manipulated, emphasizing the importance of privacy and the use of encryption to protect against unforeseen vulnerabilities in an increasingly surveilled world.

Takeaways

• 🔒 We often underestimate the amount of personal data we generate daily and the potential risks associated with it.
• 💡 The value of our personal information is often underappreciated, despite its potential for misuse.
• 🌐 The misconception that only powerful agencies like the NSA pose a threat to our privacy is debunked; we are our own biggest threat by living 'in glass houses'.
• 📝 Malte Spitz's experience with Deutsche Telekom highlights the extent of data retention, where he received a CD with over 30,000 lines of data about his communications.
• 📈 The EU's Data Retention Directive mandates that telecom companies store user data for a minimum of six months to a maximum of two years, showing the legal framework for data collection.
• 🗺️ Data visualization can turn raw data into a detailed 'diary' of a person's life, revealing intimate details about their daily activities and movements.
• 📱 Mobile phones constantly 'ping' the nearest antenna every five minutes, creating a digital trail of our whereabouts and activities.
• 👥 The collective data from individuals can be used to monitor and manipulate crowds, as demonstrated by the Ukrainian government's actions during a protest.
• 👀 Surveillance is not only through mobiles but also through computers, cameras, and other tracking devices, creating a comprehensive profile of individuals.
• 🛒 Companies like Wal-Mart collect personal data through reward cards, providing insights into consumers' habits and preferences.
• 🛡️ The use of cryptography and privacy tools like Tor is encouraged to protect ourselves from the unintended consequences of pervasive surveillance.

Q & A

What are the three mistakes people make regarding their information according to the speaker?

The three mistakes are underestimating the quantity of information we produce daily, depreciating the value of that information, and thinking that our main problem is a distant and super powerful agency like the NSA.

Who is Malte Spitz and what did he request from his telephone company?

Malte Spitz is a member of the German Green Party. In 2009, he requested his telephone company, Deutsche Telekom, to send him all the data they had on him.

What was the outcome of Malte Spitz's request for his data from Deutsche Telekom?

After two lawsuits, Deutsche Telekom sent Malte Spitz a CD with an Excel table containing 30,832 lines of data, covering a period from September 2009 to February 2010.

What is the significance of the six-month data period provided to Malte Spitz?

The six-month period is significant because it aligns with the European Union's Data Retention Directive, which mandates that telephone companies with more than 10,000 clients keep the data of all their clients for a minimum of six months and a maximum of two years.

How was the vast amount of data Malte Spitz received processed and visualized?

Malte Spitz sent the data to a weekly magazine, which then contacted a data visualization agency to create a comprehensive map of his life, incorporating public information such as his Twitter and blog posts.

What kind of insights can be derived from the data visualization of Malte Spitz's life?

The data visualization provides insights into Malte's daily activities, such as when he catches a train, where he stays, when he eats, sleeps, takes a flight, who calls him, and the duration of calls, as well as messages received.

How often does a mobile phone communicate with the nearest antenna, and what information does it exchange?

A mobile phone communicates with the nearest antenna every five minutes, sending a 'ping' to check for emails, WhatsApp messages, or any updates from the world.

What is the potential impact of the data collected by mobile phones on privacy and surveillance?

The data collected by mobile phones can be used for surveillance, revealing personal habits, locations, and interactions, making individuals vulnerable to privacy invasion and potentially affecting their freedom and safety.

How can the data from mobile phones be used to monitor and control crowds during public gatherings?

Data from mobile phones can be used to identify who is present at a public gathering, track their movements, and even isolate influential individuals by disrupting their mobile network connectivity.

What is the historical precedent mentioned in the script that highlights the dangers of data collection?

The script refers to the Dutch census that included information about religious affiliations, which was later used by the Nazis during World War II, resulting in a low survival rate among Dutch Jews.

What is the speaker's recommendation for individuals to protect their privacy in the digital age?

The speaker recommends using cryptography in mobiles, communications, and computers, and advises caution when accepting reward cards or services that require personal data. Additionally, the speaker suggests using tools like Tor for internet browsing to enhance privacy.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 The Unseen Surveillance: Malte Spitz's Data Revelation

Malte Spitz, a German Green Party member, requested his phone company to share data they held on him. After legal battles, he received a CD with 30,832 lines of data, revealing his movements and activities over six months. This data was a result of the EU's Data Retention Directive, which mandates companies to store client data for up to two years. The magazine that received the data collaborated with a data visualization agency to create an extensive map of Spitz's life, showing his daily activities, travel patterns, and communications. The script discusses how mobile phones constantly 'ping' their location to the nearest antenna, creating a detailed diary of our lives that can be accessed and analyzed by anyone with the right tools, emphasizing the pervasive nature of surveillance in our digital age.

05:01

🏠 Privacy in the Digital Age: The Vulnerability of Our Data

The script delves into the broader implications of data surveillance beyond mobile phones, including computers, street cameras, and identification chips in wallets. It highlights how personal data is collected and stored, making us vulnerable to misuse by various entities, from governments to companies. The speaker argues that the mere existence of this data poses a risk, as it can be used against us in unforeseen ways. Historical examples, such as the Dutch census during World War II, are used to illustrate the potential dangers of such data. The speaker concludes by advocating for the use of cryptography and privacy tools like Tor to protect ourselves from unwanted surveillance, emphasizing the importance of these measures for the health of democracy.

Keywords

💡NSA

The National Security Agency (NSA) is a U.S. government agency responsible for global monitoring, collection, and processing of information and data for foreign intelligence and counterintelligence purposes. In the video, the NSA is mentioned as a powerful entity capable of surveillance, but the speaker argues that the real issue is not the agency itself but the data we generate and its potential misuse, as the NSA doesn't need its resources to spy on us when we expose our data so readily.

💡Data Retention Directive

The Data Retention Directive is a European Union regulation that mandates telecommunications companies to store certain types of data for a specified period, ranging from six months to two years. In the context of the video, it is highlighted as the reason why Malte Spitz received a CD with six months of his data, illustrating the extent of data retention and the implications for privacy.

💡Malte Spitz

Malte Spitz is a German politician who, in 2009, requested his telecommunications company to send him all the data they had collected about him. The video uses his case to illustrate the vast amount of personal data that can be collected and the detailed insights it provides into an individual's life, emphasizing the privacy concerns associated with data collection.

💡Data Visualization

Data visualization is the graphical representation of information and data. In the video, a data visualization agency was contacted to make sense of the extensive data Deutsche Telekom provided to Malte Spitz. The result was a detailed map of his life, showing movements, communications, and activities, which underscores the invasive potential of data when properly analyzed.

💡Surveillance

Surveillance refers to the close observation of individuals, often for the purpose of maintaining security or control. The video discusses how everyday activities and communications are monitored through various means, such as mobile phones, cameras, and data collection, raising questions about the balance between security and privacy.

💡Cryptography

Cryptography is the practice of secure communication techniques that allow only the intended recipient to read the contents of a message. The speaker in the video advocates for the use of cryptography in mobiles and communications to protect personal data from unauthorized access and surveillance.

💡Tor

Tor is a network that enables anonymous communication by directing internet traffic through a worldwide volunteer overlay network. The video suggests using Tor as a means to protect one's online activities from being monitored, emphasizing the importance of privacy tools in the digital age.

💡Algorithm

An algorithm is a set of rules or procedures for solving problems or performing calculations. In the context of the video, algorithms are used to analyze and interpret the vast amounts of data collected, such as mobile phone data, to identify patterns and behaviors, which can be used for surveillance or marketing purposes.

💡Personal Identification

Personal identification refers to the process of verifying an individual's identity, often through documents or digital means. The video mentions various forms of personal identification, such as ID cards and reward cards, which can inadvertently collect and reveal personal information, contributing to the overall surveillance state.

💡Data Protection Law

Data protection laws are legal frameworks designed to protect the privacy and security of individuals' data. The video mentions that companies like Deutsche Telekom and Telefónica must comply with these laws, yet there are still concerns about how data is collected, stored, and potentially misused.

💡Vulnerability

Vulnerability, in the context of the video, refers to the potential for harm or exploitation due to the exposure of personal information. The speaker argues that the existence of personal data makes individuals vulnerable to unforeseen risks, emphasizing the need for proactive measures to protect privacy.

Highlights

We make three mistakes: underestimating the quantity of information we produce daily, depreciating its value, and thinking the NSA is our main privacy concern.

Malte Spitz, a German Green Party member, requested all his data from Deutsche Telekom, receiving a CD with 30,832 lines of data.

The EU's Data Retention Directive mandates telecom companies to store customer data for 6 months to 2 years, impacting privacy.

Deutsche Telekom's data and Malte's public information were used to create a detailed, 'creepy' map of his life, showing movements, communications, and habits.

Mobile phones 'ping' antennas every 5 minutes, revealing our location and activities, contributing to a comprehensive surveillance profile.

Surveillance is not limited to mobiles; it extends to computers, cameras, radars, and personal identification chips in wallets.

Wal-Mart, not a surveillance agency, once held the world's largest personal database due to its reward cards collecting extensive customer data.

Online companies that offer 'free' services often sell user data for profit, questioning the real cost of 'free'.

Algorithms create surveillance profiles regardless of a person's importance, making everyone equally vulnerable to potential misuse of their data.

Surveillance can lead to severe consequences, such as being stuck at an airport in a country where homosexuality is illegal.

Historical examples, like the Dutch census used by Nazis, show the danger of data falling into the wrong hands.

The mere existence of personal data makes us vulnerable in unforeseeable ways, emphasizing the need for privacy measures.

Cryptography should be used in mobiles and communications to protect our data and enhance privacy.

Surveillance is a disease harming democracy; using tools like Tor can help maintain privacy and require a warrant for monitoring.

The speaker urges the audience to be proactive about privacy, using encryption and being cautious with data sharing.

The applause at the end signifies the audience's appreciation and agreement with the importance of privacy and resistance to surveillance.

Transcripts

Translator: VICTOR AWOYEMI Reviewer: Alina Siluyanova

We make three mistakes:

the first is underestimating the quantity of information that we produce every day;

the second is depreciating the value of that information;

and the third is thinking that our principal problem

is a distant and super powerful agency that is called NSA.

And it is true that NSA has the major access, better resources,

the best tools, but they don't need any of that

to spy on us,

because we have everything there; we live in glass houses.

This is Malte Spitz, a member of the German Green Party.

In 2009, Malte asked his telephone company

to send him all the data they had on him.

And the Deutsche Telekom, which was his company, told him no.

Two lawsuits later, they sent him a CD

with an Excel table of 30,832 lines;

like "The War and the Peace", but three times larger.

This endless document contains information

from September of 2009 to February of 2010;

it has exactly six months.

This isn't accidental, it has six months because in the summer of 2008

the European Union presented the Data Retention Directive,

where they demanded each telephone company

with more than 10,000 clients

keep the data of all their clients

for a minimum of six months and a maximum of two years.

They gave Malte data of 6 months, as if saying,

"This is everything we have because the law forces us."

They probably owe him a year and half.

Malte, who couldn't process this amount of information,

sent it to a weekly magazine

which, in turn, contacted a data visualization agency

to do something with it.

They took the data from Deutsche Telekom

and Malte's public information,

like, for example, information from his Twitter account or his blog.

And with this they created the map that you are looking at now,

that is more than a map, it is more like a creepy automatic diary

of Malte's life.

We can see when he catches a train, which he's doing right now,

when he stops, where he stays,

when he goes, how he goes,

how much time it takes him, when he is eating,

when he is sleeping, like right now;

when he takes a flight, who calls him, how long they speak,

who sends him messages, what are the messages.

We see everything.

This is on the Internet. You can see it.

The reason why this happens

is because Malte has a mobile in his pocket

that every five minutes makes a "ping" to the closest antenna and tells it,

"Do you have something for me? Do I have mail?

Do I have any WhatsApp messages?

Has something happened in the world?"

Raise your hand if you have a mobile in your pocket that does the same.

Every five minutes our mobiles are saying,

"I'm here, I'm here, now I'm here,

hey, I'm here..."

That's what happens.

And this doesn't have precedents. We didn't have this before.

The direct equivalent of that is what we have now on the screen.

This is the profile of a person watched by the Stasi for years.

Looks like a napkin, doesn't it? With 46 posts including

his aunt, the milkman, the priest of his church --

These are five minutes in the life of Malte Spitz,

and this information is automatic.

And the worst thing is that this is only the data on Malte,

but Malte is surrounded by people like us with mobiles like his

that are producing the same information;

and that company sees everything.

This is a photo made by my colleague Juanlu Sánchez,

a photo from manifestation 15-M.

But let's look at it from a telecommunications' viewpoint.

This square is full with mobiles.

Using those mobiles we can know exactly who is at the square,

almost as if we put a cordon around;

with names and surnames.

And not only we know when they have come, where they come from and with whom,

whom they leave with, whom they call to;

we know everything about them.

We even know if they are on the 4th floor or down at the square.

This is how that photo is seen by an algorithm of traffic analysis.

And here we begin to see some cool stuff.

We see that not all the people at the square are the same.

There are people more important than others,

and if we have control over these telecommunications,

this network, we can do things,

like turning off the nodes on this square,

in other words, isolate those who gather others around them from the rest.

Also we can do what the Ukrainian government did about a year and half ago:

send out a message saying,

"Dear user, you've been registered

as a participant in a massive illegal manifestation."

We don't behave the same when we know that we are watched.

Since Jeremy Bentham we know

that the best way to watch a population

is for them not to know when they are watched and when not.

In Malte's case, during those 6 months,

they were watching him for 78 percent of the time.

And we're only talking about our mobiles.

We are not talking about our computers,

nor the cameras that are on the streets,

in the stores and shop-windows,

in the airports and trains,

and wherever we are, being watched.

We are not talking about the radars on the roads

that register us if we overspeed.

We are not talking about what we have in a wallet.

How many personal identification chips do we have in a wallet?

We have a lot: an ID card,

a driving license or a transport ticket,

credit or debit cards, reward cards.

A supermarket reward card.

20 years ago, the biggest personal data base in the world

was not owned by NSA, neither by the Stasi, poor thing.

It was owned by Wal-Mart, the American supermarket chain.

Why? Because when they give you a reward card,

what you're doing is telling a company who you are, where you live,

how much you earn, what you buy,

what you eat, how many kids you have,

when you go on vacations, when you get sick.

And all this we give them hoping that in six months or in a year,

if we spend a lot of money, they'll give us a Tupperware.

(Laughter)

And it's not different from what we do on the Internet,

because Deutsche Telekom is a legit European company

that has to obey the Data Protection Law, the same way as Telef贸nica.

Telef贸nica, here, has to obey the data protection laws,

but it's not the same with the companies

that make mobiles, operative systems,

offer us "free" mails,

give those apps that we download

and ask us for access to a bunch of strange things, and we say,

"They might need it for something."

They need it to sell it.

Why would Angry Birds want to have access to your GPS?

To make money!

Our observers don't care if we are nobody,

if we are unimportant,

because they're algorithms, not people.

And our profiles are automatic;

they exist even if nobody looks at it.

And the day somebody looks at it and changes your fate,

your profile, your history, becomes your record.

You can end up being stuck at the airport

in one of the 75 countries where being homosexual is illegal.

Or you could end up in a country where taking a picture of a pharmacy

of mass production from the other side of the street is terrorism;

this happens in the United States.

Or you could end up in Syria, where people are shot on the streets;

activists, especially journalists.

You could end up in Mexico, D.F., where the Zetas use their access

to the information of phone companies

to see who contacts the police and cut their heads.

There are thousands of ways to be in the wrong place at the wrong time,

and sometimes you don't even have to move.

In Holland they had a census.

It was a census that included religions with high devotion rates in the world.

They wanted to know how many Protestants, Catholics, Jews they had

to know how much money they had to put in each community,

in each church or synagogue.

What happened? When the Nazis came, they had their homework done.

Only 10 percent of the Dutch Jews survived in the Second World War.

If that database hadn't exist, the figures would've been very different.

What I mean is that our problem isn't the NSA,

neither our corrupt governments,

neither ambitious companies that want to sell our data,

neither bad people,

and it has nothing to do with their intentions,

nor with their bad intentions.

The problem is that the very existence of that information

makes us vulnerable in the ways that we can't anticipate right now.

We have to put curtains in our houses;

we can't expect that somebody will do it for us.

We have to put them now.

We have to start using cryptography in our mobiles,

in our communications, in our computers.

Start thinking twice every time someone offers us a reward card,

and say, "Mmm..."

Not only for us, because besides everything,

this state of surveillance is one of the worst sicknesses

that a democracy has.

So, I invite you, upon your arrival back home,

start using Tor,

and if someone wants to see what you are doing,

he should ask for a search warrant.

Thank you very much.

(Applause)