HS Alliance
Monitoring everyday people online is usually associated with big tech companies because it’s the kind of thing that could eventually help them increase their profits dramatically. With all of that said and now dismissed, it is important to note that the highest level of surveillance is not carried out by social media companies or tech companies, but rather by a consortium of intelligence agencies called the Five Eyes.
The Five Eyes refers to the intelligence agencies of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, or basically the entire Anglosphere, all things having been considered and taken into account. A 2013 leak revealed how the NSA was spying on its own citizens and justified it by saying it was for national security purposes only. Despite this being the case, many found their techniques quite underhanded, leading to severe pushback from rights organizations.
The origins of the Five Eyes lie in the aftermath of World War II, when the United States and United Kingdom, fresh out of the partnership that led them to victory over the Axis powers, also decided to cooperate in the collection of information. The main target of their surveillance rally was the Soviet Union, but they expanded their network a lot. The main concern with how this spying is done is that this alliance allows them to circumvent many rules.
The CIA cannot spy on its own citizens, but it can ask the British intelligence agency to do so without any problem. A really scary aspect of this is that the Five Eyes alliance has gradually expanded, and now there are fourteen countries participating in shared surveillance and several others are also trying to join their club because they know how bad it is. it will be easy for them to continue spying on innocent civilians.
It is possible that we are heading towards a world where just about everyone will be under surveillance for as long as they use the internet or any form of electronic device. This has made it more necessary than ever for people to use various programs that can maintain their anonymity, such as high-quality VPNs that can distort your location and prevent people from tracking you. Maintaining your sense of privacy online has nothing to do with trying to hide criminal activity, and everything to do with the fundamental right to privacy.
As the countries of Israel, Japan, South Korea and Singapore all seek to join this consortium and get a share of the intelligence, people’s privacy rights are now more at risk than ever. It would be the first time the Five Eyes consortium has expanded beyond Europe, and if this trend continues, people could be living in surveillance states without even realizing it. The governments of the world have a way of making malicious actors look downright harmless, and it’s a good example of a conspiracy that actually exists instead of just being based on random logic that doesn’t hold up.
H/T: NordVPN
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