Kraft | 1

Emmanuel Kraft

Ms. Fillman

CAP 10 Dystopian Interdisciplinary

4 October 2019

Finding a Balance in the Modern World: Preventing 2019 from Becoming 1984

Balance is always an essential component of any effective government: balance between freedom

and restrictions, equality and fairness, loyalty to timeless tradition and adaptation to changing times. Due

to technological advances combined with an altering global view, a need for a new balance has arisen in

the modern world: the balance between privacy and security. This complex topic troubles technologically

advanced countries around the world who argue over whether they should force their citizens to give up

nearly all private information in exchange for enhanced security, or allow citizens to retain their personal

information while putting them at an elevated risk of physical harm. This dilemma is substantially present

in ​1984​, a novel by English author George Orwell. ​1984 is a fictional account of a dystopian world where

a totalitarian government has obtained full control over the thoughts and actions of its people through

constant surveillance and psychological manipulation. Though the novel was written 70 years ago, the

discussed topics are still fully relevant today. In both current society in the real world and the world of

1984​, the debate over the balance between privacy and security is an issue that ignites conflict and creates

a divide between government and the people.

There is both support and opposition regarding sacrificing a degree of privacy in exchange for

effective security, as seen recently in China where facial recognition technology resembling the

surveillance technology in ​1984 actually benefits the common good. China has been implementing facial

recognition platforms that now “can identify a person from a database of at least 2 billion people in a

matter of seconds” (Lentino). The technology has helped local police inspect surveillance video, but also

contributes to industries such as banking, health care, and advertising by digitizing and analyzing data. In
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the United States, where the facial recognition industry is expanding rapidly, the report that nearly half of

all adults are registered in databases has ignited the dispute over privacy. There is clear opposition at both

the national level - with bipartisan legislation such as the Commercial Facial Recognition Privacy Act of

2019 requiring public consent to share biometric data - and the local level, with cities such as San

Francisco banning any government agency from using facial recognition technology. The key concept in

this scenario is that governments, corporations, and citizens must be in agreement because “we have

entered a new era that demands a new set of rules for both companies and customers.” Microsoft, for

example, has taken on a leadership role stating that they “will not deploy facial recognition technology in

scenarios that [they] believe will put [democratic] freedoms at risk”, making them a perfect example for

other large companies and governments to follow. In ​1984,​ the main machineries used for government

surveillance are telescreens, security cameras that record video and audio, installed in nearly every

imaginable location to help the government search for any individuals deemed as threats to the system.

Typically, these threats are victims of unreasonable accusations made by the corrupt government.

Reasoning for probes include “anything that [carries] with it the suggestion of abnormality, of having

something to hide. To wear an improper expression on your face [is] itself a punishable offense. There [is]

a word for it: ​facecrime”​ (Orwell 62). These facecrimes are discovered through the telescreens and are

ultimately punishment for showing signs of natural human emotion, especially rebellion. These deceiving

security techniques create a clear discrepancy between the citizens of Oceania and the government that

disguises oppression as protection. Telescreens and facial recognition are both used to locate threats,

though the former is invasive and unjustified while the latter is simply a helpful tool that is available to

law enforcement. Nonetheless, it is the government’s responsibility to apply this technology responsibly.

There are also major risks in prioritizing security over privacy, as a recent dispute between the

Federal Bureau of Investigations and tech-giant Apple has exposed the dangers of invading individual

privacy, just as the government does in ​1984​, and how doing so can in turn lead to security concerns.
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Following a shooting in San Bernardino in 2017, the FBI ordered Apple to create a pathway into the data

of an iPhone involved in the event. Apple made a bold statement when it refused to follow this order,

explaining that such a system could act as a master key into millions of phones and have devastating

repercussions if placed in the wrong hands. This case created tension between the government and

corporations as well as the “two values we all treasure - privacy and security” (Golodryga). The most

frightening part of the entire situation is that the FBI withdrew the order after it was able to access the

desired data without Apple’s assistance, meaning that the government found a way to create the pathway

into the phone. This creates an unease between the public and the government that “we can only hope”

will not abuse its power. In 1984,​ the power-hungry government of Oceania is led by a symbolic figure of

“the Party” named Big Brother. Through government-controlled technology, the Party obtains endless

information on every individual under its rule. Reflecting on this terrifying fact, the main character of the

novel, Winston Smith, senses “the eyes watching you and the voice enveloping you. Asleep or awake…

no escape. Nothing was your own except the few cubic centimeters inside your skull” (Orwell 27). Big

Brother has access to every citizen’s records, communication, actions, and to some extent even their

thoughts, making arrests for “thoughtcrimes”, unorthodox beliefs that do not correspond with those of the

Party. This invasion of privacy destroys any possible trust between the government and the people, with

citizens never knowing how much of their information is being uncovered and analyzed.

Lastly, the tragedy of 9/11 and the ensuing events provoked a critical debate that explored both

extremes of the issue before settling at an equilibrium, discovering a valuable awareness of how modern

society can function properly while handling this issue, unlike with the system developed by Big Brother.

Following the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, the United States passed the USA PATRIOT Act

to “significantly reduce legal protections for personal privacy” (Klau) to allow the government to track

and locate individuals suspected of being associated with the terrorists, blatantly placing national security

ahead of personal privacy. In 2013, Edward Snowden released thousands of classified documents showing
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the excessive amount of private information that the national government had been collecting for years,

shocking the public as well as many government officials. Some were not surprised since “the more

information the government wants to collect about individual Americans, the harder it works to keep the

existence of those programs secret” (3), just as Big Brother operates secretly to remain in power. A more

abstract way that Big Brother controls the minds of Oceania’s citizens is through perpetual war. In

general, the balance between privacy and security tends to swing towards security in times of war, which

provides Big Brother with reasoning for amping up their level of surveillance and invasion of privacy on

the public. “The war is waged by each ruling group against its own subjects, and the object of the war

is… to keep the structure of society intact” (Orwell 199). By keeping a close eye on their citizens, the

Party can claim to be securing the nation when the government itself is the true security threat. In both

scenarios, what is necessary is an informed public. The government must establish trust with its citizens

and be transparent for any kind of balance between privacy and security to be effective and willingly

accepted by both parties.

With the rapid development of technology, privacy and security have become two major concerns

that the government and the public must work together to resolve. Orwell’s ​1984 provides a glimpse into

the future if these linked issues are not resolved, a future where surveillance is omnipresent and private

information is anything but private. Chinese facial recognition has shown the world the potential benefits

of increased security, while the controversy between Apple and the FBI is a reminder of why individuals

cherish the right to their personal information. The 9/11 attack was an unprecedented effort to destabilize

our nation’s democratic values, but the lessons that have emerged from the tragedy can also be used as a

base for future national and global policy making. The result of the debate over the topic of privacy and

security will define the world for generations to come. The paradox of the issue is that prioritizing one

side threatens the other, yet when one side is threatened we must prioritize it. The key is to consider both

sides of the issue, reach a compromise, and find balance in the modern world.
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Works Cited

Golodryga, Bianna. "FBI vs Apple: When Security and Privacy Collide." ​HuffPost,​ Verizon Media, 31

Mar. 2017, www.huffpost.com/entry/fbi-vs-apple-when-securit_b_9577620. Accessed 3 Oct.

2019.

Klau, Daniel. "Privacy, Security, and the Legacy of 9/11." ​UConn Today​, U of Connecticut, 10 Sept.

2015, today.uconn.edu/2015/09/privacy-security-and-the-legacy-of-911/. Accessed 3 Oct. 2019.

Lentino, Amanda. "This Chinese Facial Recognition Start-Up Can Identify a Person in Seconds." ​CNBC,​

NBCUniversal, 17 May 2019,

www.cnbc.com/2019/05/16/this-chinese-facial-recognition-start-up-can-id-a-person-in-seconds.ht

ml. Accessed 3 Oct. 2019.

Orwell, George. ​1984​. New York, Signet Classics, 1949.

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Name: ____________________________________ Pd: _________ Date: _______________CAP 10

English – Ms. Fillman
Comparative Analysis Essay Rubric

Needs Progressing Proficient

Development
Introduction​ – includes an effective hook, a synopsis of ​1984,​ and an introduction to 1 2 3
the real world topic to be discussed.
Thesis​ – is argumentative and effectively compares a facet of Winston’s world to our 1 2 3
own.
Topic Sentences​ – Include the subtopics as they relate to the thesis and communicate 1 2 3
the focus of the whole paragraph.
Supporting Examples​ – Supporting quotes are set up with context, fluidly integrate 1 2 3 4 5 6
quotes, and are relevant to the subtopic and thesis.
Supporting Analysis​ – Ample analysis is given that doesn’t simply summarize the
quotes but makes connections and reveals the effects of the issues on the citizens in 1 2 3 4 5 6
each world. Analyze the implications and the “so what?”
Conclusion ​– restates thesis without being redundant, recaps subtopics, and provides 1 2 3
insight.
Tense​ – is consistent throughout. Literary present tense is used. 1 2 3

Transitions​ – each sentence and paragraph connects to the one before and after it. 1 2 3

Organization​ – Subtopics are listed and described in the same order throughout. The 1 2 3
comparison order of ​1984​ and real world examples is also the same.
Mechanics/Citation​ – proper spelling, syntax, and punctuation are used. Quotes are 1 2 3
properly cited using MLA. Scholarly diction is used throughout.

______ / 36 – Essay
Works Cited

Needs Progressing Proficient

Development
MLA Citation​ – Source information is ordered correctly and is complete. .5 1 1.5 2 2.5

Formatting​ – Works Cited page is on its own page, is alphabetized, and is double .5 1 1.5 2 2.5
spaced throughout. The first line of each source is not indented, all others are.

______ / 5 – Works Cited

Annotated Articles

Needs Progressing Proficient

Development
Connections Made​ – connections between ​1984​ and our society are clearly defined .5 1 1.5 2.5 3.5 4.5
and analyzed.
Thorough Annotations​ – ample annotations include the use of propaganda
techniques, persuasive appeals and rhetorical devices. All of the article has been .5 1 1.5 2.5 3.5 4.5
annotated and analyzed, not just parts.

______ / 9 – Annotations
______ / 50 Total