Julian Assange: Google Does To "Voluntary" Mass Surveillance

Google collects less information than the US National Security Agency, yet the way the software giant stores data and silvers as "voluntary" mass surveillance and "surveillance-capitalism" to describe, says WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange facing Der Spiegel .

According Assange is about one person of little worth, but have the data of one billion strategic value, similar to an oil pipeline. The large amounts of information collected are then used through a new economic model, called "surveillance capitalism," says the WikiLeaks founder.

Google also likes to give itself with "voluntary" mass surveillance through things at first glance away for free. Not only does this much information, it also changes the perception of users. By giving away services it seems that they are not a business, says Assange. "As companies do not have free things. They therefore seem wrongly to be a part of civil society."

Culture

The impact of Google goes beyond just collecting data about users, they affect those too. "They export a specific mindset of culture. You can visit the old term of" cultural imperialism "use, or the "Disneylandization "call of the Internet. Or maybe" digital colonisation "a better term," warns the WikiLeaks founder.

Companies like Google set as Assange new social rules about what activities are allowed and which information can be exchanged, or even how much of it a nipple may be displayed. Normally this would be part of the public debate and even policy makers. "But as soon as something is sufficiently controversial these organizations prohibit it. Even if it's not as controversial, but it affects their interests, then it is banned or partially prohibit

Research: NSA Spying Cost Billions Of US Tech Companies

The espionage activities of the NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed and is still not enough suitable legislation that would possibly cost US tech companies billions of dollars. Thus, the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF) in a new report ( pdf ).

By not sufficient reform of American surveillance policy would reach US tech companies damage, which in turn will cost American jobs and American trade weakened. The ITIF estimated in 2013 that a small decrease in foreign companies that do not use American cloud services in 2016, the US could cost between 21.5 billion and 35 billion dollars. According to the foundation now appears that only the new cloud sector has been hit by the NSA spying, but other sectors underachievement.The damage will probably also unpack much higher than the estimated $ 35 billion.

"In summary, foreign clients avoid US companies," the researchers conclude that describe different economic consequences in their report. They also argue that, since recently the Congress a espionage law modified so that the NSA should not massively collect phone records of US citizens, other controversial digital surveillance activities of US intelligence to be addressed.