"Big Brother" is watching you

[mr.pipes 4]

I must be missing something....I really don't care if they know how much electricity I use, when I use it or what I use it for. Is there some reason I should care?

I guess I am not that clever either.

Could someone please tell me why I should be concerned with the electric co. knowing when and how much power I use.

I am currently (no pun) not involved in any illegal activities that require electricity.

[MikesRJ 552]

I posted this as a thought provoker.

It's not a matter of the electric company knowing the information as it is the "implied consent" law. Because you unknowing agreed to allow the electric company to collect the data, that implies you also allow them to disseminate that information to anyone, or any entity (read that corporation, law enforcement, or anyone else) they want, whether you would like those organizations to have it or not. Think about this "outlandish" scheme.

How about they monitor your electrical usage and find all sorts of usage data. They correlate that with your TV viewing habits (yes-siree Bob the cable company collects that data as well) and figures out all manner of directed advertising aimed right at you, from every swinging chumpy company you've never heard of?

Let me pose this question to you: Every time you fill out an online form, or a printed form for that matter, where there is a check-box asking if you want to opt-out of their advertising and their ability to provide the information you entered to third parties. Do you check that box so as to dis-allow them to do so? If so, what is the difference here? I don't want them giving my information away because I don;t know where their sending it, or what manner of BS I'm going to have to put up with if they do.

My point is this. Computers and data storage are not inherently safe from hackers, nor are we really safe from the multitudes of businesses in the world that bombard us with a metric crap-ton of advertising and other things. We're not even going into the illegal things that data could be user for, we're just talking about the quasi-legal uses here. We're also not talking about the security of the data once it's been collected.

Collectively, these entities trade data, and pool identifiable data especially, from many sources. When the data is directly linked to YOU, it's worth a whole lot more to those entities.

Another dumb example: I could spend about 20 minutes and find a wealth of information on the internet alone about an individual, and they almost always never realize that that information is out there.

It's out there because you've allowed details of your private life, and with it your right to your own privacy, to go right out the window (or down the electric line as the case may be).

[JimD 3,345]

Gosh, I long for a simpler time when all they wanted was to put a Star Wars Missile Defense system in space. :thumbs2:

[midnight rambler 36]

Quick put tin foil under your hats, and over your phone lines, cover your GPS units guys, the government wants our horses back, We have no way to get away from it, biggest conspirators are the government, why do you think We have SS numbers? Not for social security, so they can keep track of us where We live, work and travel. No way around it, next they will have micro chips in our credit cards debit cards and maybe even in our money, how is that for conspiracY?

[Buzz 502]

If you think "smart meters" are scary and an invasion of privacy, how about On Star? If it's installed in your vehicle, even if you don't subscribe to their service, THEY can find out where you are. You can't hide, THEY can find you, anytime, anyplace. And let's not forget those GPS chips in your cell phone so when you call 911 THEY can find you. And lastly, is there anyplace in town or on a major highway where a "security" camera isn't watching? Let's face it, Big Brother is alive and well and growing in these here United States whether we like it or not.

"Those who give up some of their liberty in order to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty, nor safety." Ben Franklin

[Guest]

... Yes, there are algorithms that look at your electrical service and can determine from what is know as "appliance chatter", what you are using, and when it is being used. That is some of the info that can be sent back to the energy company.

Very, very scary.

wow. Being, myself, one of those SOB comi-nazi's who actually writes algorithms to process electrical signals (although not for the utilities) I would suggest this is not the hi-fidelity spying tool that some of you might think it is. I guess it's easy to fear what we don't understand. IMHO, the dreadful Hollywood spy concept starting to brew here if even possible would be prohibitively expensive and a royal waste of terrorist thwarting effort and resources. More likely than not, this tap is about making $$$ for the utilities - not throwing it away. Yes, some you may have a utility 'cookie' stored somewhere - sampled only once by machine and rolled up into a giant histogram for some nerd to look at.