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Inside the massive (and unregulated) world of surveillance tech

1,668,435 views | Sharon Weinberger • TED Salon: Brightline Initiative

What is a weapon in the Information Age? From microscopic "smart dust" tracking devices to DNA-tracing tech and advanced facial recognition software, journalist Sharon Weinberger leads a hair-raising tour through the global, unregulated bazaar of privatized mass surveillance. To rein in this growing, multibillion-dollar marketplace that often caters to customers with nefarious intents, Weinberger believes the first step is for governments to classify surveillance tools as dangerous and powerful weapons.

What is a weapon in the Information Age? From microscopic "smart dust" tracking devices to DNA-tracing tech and advanced facial recognition software, journalist Sharon Weinberger leads a hair-raising tour through the global, unregulated bazaar of privatized mass surveillance. To rein in this growing, multibillion-dollar marketplace that often caters to customers with nefarious intents, Weinberger believes the first step is for governments to classify surveillance tools as dangerous and powerful weapons.

This talk was presented at a TED Salon event given in partnership with Brightline Initiative. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

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About the speaker

Sharon Weinberger

Sharon Weinberger

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Sharon Weinberger has spent the past two decades exploring the implications of the science and technology being spawned by the national security state.

Sharon Weinberger | The New York Times, 2019 | Article

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This story on DarkMatter, a UAE-based company recruiting Western hackers and former NSA employees, was one of the first investigations that looked deep into the private market for spies and surveillance technology.

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"The Secretive Company That Might End Privacy as We Know It"

This powerful article perfectly illustrates how one company could end our anonymity by selling technology that can identify people using facial recognition.

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Dark Mirror: Edward Snowden and the American Surveillance State

Whether you think Edward Snowden is a hero or traitor, this book is a great dive into the surveillance programs revealed by the former NSA contractor in 2013.

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Enemy of the State

Even if you find the plot a bit over the top (a murderous group of NSA employees conspiring to assassinate a congressman), this 1998 movie starring Will Smith was well ahead of its time in thinking about the implications of ubiquitous surveillance.

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About TED Salon

TED Salons welcome an intimate audience for an afternoon or evening of highly-curated TED Talks revolving around a globally relevant theme. A condensed version of a TED flagship conference, they are distinct in their brevity, opportunities for conversation, and heightened interaction between the speaker and audience.

Read more about TED Salons

This talk was presented at a TED Salon event given in partnership with Brightline Initiative. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TED Salons.