Smartphones are intensifying distrust and killing privacy

We are living in the era of surveillance capitalism. Modern technology plays a crucial role in shaping and reshaping society. Technology has become a tool of control and surveillance rather than security; in this regard, the smartphone can be considered one of the most powerful technologies of all.

Compared to other inventions, smartphones are unique in their functionality. While other technologies may serve one, two, or perhaps three purposes, smartphones defy such limitations. For instance, a car or a bike is used to cover geographical distances, a TV provides entertainment or information and a printing machine can only print; each has specific uses. However, smartphones are entirely different, offering countless possibilities.

For example, they encompass everything from entertainment, banking, sports, politics, education and business to crime, smuggling, privacy, socialising, sex, marriage, family, enmity and friendship, among many other things. Astonishingly, the smartphone has become the most pervasive technology in human life. It accompanies us everywhere: The office, home, bedroom and even the bathroom.

It is almost a part of our body — as integral as a hand, a leg, or our eyes. Its absence cripples both the body and the mind. The smartphone has become our personal and social mind and losing it or allowing it to fall into someone else’s hands is tantamount to relinquishing control over our thoughts and actions. Controlling someone's smartphone is akin to controlling their existence.

It is one of the most significant inventions of contemporary times, capable of being wielded as a dangerous weapon and unfortunately, it is being used that way. A person’s personal and social life can be destroyed without any physical violence, simply through misuse of their smartphone. Every day we see cases in the newspapers, or hear stories around us, of individuals whose private conversations or moments are recorded and then made public.

Consequently, some are driven to suicide or suffer psychological trauma as their social and personal lives are ruined. This short article explores how smartphones can violate our right to privacy when that privacy is breached, either knowingly or unknowingly, by people connected to our personal lives — relatives, friends, lovers and acquaintances. But let us look at violations by individuals rather than by governments or agencies, as the latter is already widely discussed in the public domain. 

Why do we need privacy

The right to privacy is enshrined as a fundamental right in many countries, including India. Although experts have provided various interpretations, no single, definitive definition exists. Legal expert Arthur Miller even argued that consensus is unlikely because privacy is a vague and hazy concept.

Nevertheless, many regard it as an essential element of a democratic society. Some see it as a means to protect the autonomy of life, while others view it as the essence of freedom. Scholars also regard it as the foundation of all other freedoms. What is clear from these opinions is that privacy is a crucial part of human life; without it, a dignified existence is unimaginable. Privacy distinguishes human life from the animal world. While animals generally lack privacy, it is an integral part of human society.

Privacy does not mean being detached from social life; rather, it is deeply intertwined with it. In private moments, people engage in activities that cannot be done publicly, even though such actions are socially accepted and necessary. For example, sexual intercourse after marriage is a socially accepted fact, but if it were to be made public, it could have severe repercussions on the individuals involved.

Privacy, therefore, can be considered in at least three contexts. First, for mental and physical health: the hustle and bustle of social and economic life affect a person’s health and it becomes necessary for one to take time for self-care. This may involve taking a trip, swimming, playing sports, or simply spending time alone at home.

Second, for creativity: privacy and solitude foster creativity, which can influence all aspects of life, including art, literature and culture. Creativity often involves challenging existing social norms, sometimes leading to the creation of new values.

Third, for life strategy: apart from health and creativity, individuals need privacy to deal with life's complexities. In moments of despair, after a failure or setback, one may need solitude to evaluate success and failure and plan for the future. Privacy allows individuals to pause and reflect.

Beyond these three areas, privacy has countless other facets. It is both personal and social in nature and protecting it is beneficial to individuals and society as a whole. Without privacy, neither man nor society can exist in a healthy state. Privacy may seem irrational, but it is, paradoxically, entirely rational.

Smartphones are killing privacy

One of the most important characteristics of power is that it controls people’s actions and desires without their will or consent. People are forced to follow the wishes of others, often without regard for their own preferences and face adverse consequences if they do not comply. Several cases illustrate this point, as reported in the media.

For instance, a girl from Kanpur hanged herself with a dupatta after a relative with whom she had a past relationship posted their private moments on social media. As a result, her fiancé broke off their engagement. This was not a case of suicide, but murder, with the smartphone as the weapon, having stored her most private moments. She was forced to choose death even though she did not want to.

In another case, two students from a private college in Karnataka committed suicide after their intimate video went viral. First, the girl ended her life, followed by the boy. In both cases, the smartphone played a similar role, rapidly spreading information and encroaching on privacy.

People fear the new social image that is created when their privacy is breached, just as these students feared the new image that had been projected of them. Another case from a school in Mumbai involved a thirteen-year-old boy who recorded objectionable videos of his fourteen-year-old female friend while playing a mobile game, later using the footage to blackmail her. He demanded that she remove her clothes under the threat of ruining her reputation by posting the video online. Sadly, cases of privacy violations by those closest to us are on the rise. 

Crisis of ethics

In today’s globalised world, ethics has taken on a new form — one of conflict. Capitalist globalisation has made social life so complex that people now occupy many contradictory roles simultaneously. This complexity makes it difficult to draw a clear line between what is ethical and what is not, leaving room for convenient interpretations.

Actions considered unethical in the context of personal relationships may be justified in other roles. We are living in an age of contradictions. Global capital has displaced the social world, transforming the “social man” into an “economic man”. This situation, driven by capitalism, has undermined the informal structure of society — what sociologist Charles Horton Cooley referred to as the “primary group”.

This structure, once governed by an inherent social and personal ethics, is now eroded by the dominance of international corporations and other sub-political entities. As a result, society is increasingly reliant on formal state laws, forgetting that formal laws alone cannot resolve every significant moment in life.

For instance, if a friend or relative destroys your life using information gathered from a smartphone, you may seek legal recourse to punish them, but the emotional wounds inflicted by the betrayal will not be healed by legal action alone.

The death of the “primary group” destroys the informal trust within society, leaving us all suspicious of one another. In this climate of distrust, the smartphone has only served to intensify the problem.

Keyoor Pathak is Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Allahabad; Sujit Kumar Mishra is Professor of Economics at Council for Social Development, Hyderabad, Telangana

Views expressed are the authors’ own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth