In light of the recent Cambridge Analytica data scandal, Facebook is quickly becoming one of the world’s least trusted companies. A survey from the Ponemon Institute, a research group focused on data privacy and information security, shows that trust in Facebook has fallen 66 percent to where now only 28 percent of users believe the company is “committed to privacy.”
Although many people are unaware of what goes on behind the scenes at Facebook, social media is not their only business. As part of an ongoing research and development venture, a project called Building 8 was created to develop technology “in the style of DARPA.”
Former DARPA executive Regina Dugan was recruited to head the project as her experience with augmented reality and mental and nervous system manipulation has given her the perfect skill set to make this project a technological success.
DARPA however, has come under scrutiny in the past for developing dangerous weaponized technologies like HELLADS, or High-Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System, commonly known as the “death ray.” Dugan was also accused of ethics violations by the Department of Defense for offering government contracts to a company she founded called RedXDefense.
Building 8 was created with four projects in mind, all centering around augmented reality and brain-scanning technology. Zuckerberg believes that within the next ten years we will begin to see a stronger link between Facebook and the mind.
“You’re going to just be able to capture a thought, what you’re thinking or feeling in kind of its ideal and perfect form in your head, and be able to share that with the world” – Mark Zuckerberg
Ultimately, Facebook intends on creating an entire augmented reality to overlay our day-to-day lives. He believes that with this new technology, common household equipment like TV’s will become obsolete.
“In the future, you’ll be able to snap your fingers and pull out a photo and make it as big as you want, and with your AR glasses you’ll be able to show it to people and they’ll be able to see it. As a matter of fact, when we get to this world, a lot of things that we think about as physical objects today, like a TV for displaying an image, will actually just be $1 apps in an AR app store. So it’s going to take a long time to make this work. But this is the vision, and this is what we’re trying to get to over the next 10 years.” – Mark Zuckerberg
Facebook users need to ask themselves whether or not they want to live in this world of augmented reality. It’s uncertain at this point just how many of our current abilities and freedoms we could lose if this kind of technology took over our lives.
Would it be possible to have a private moment? With Facebook technology becoming ever-more invasive into our lives and their protection of privacy becoming increasingly moot, it’s possible that at some point in time we may not even remember what life was like before Facebook took control over our perceptions and intimate data.
However, alternative technology companies are gaining more and more popularity in light of Facebook censorship and privacy concerns. Websites like Minds.com and Diaspora are gaining new users each day and are emerging as serious competitors to current social media giants. It’s possible that new technology could emerge from alternative, decentralized sources to combat the intrusion of companies like Facebook.
In an increasingly troubled world, it’s important that we think about which direction we want to go as a society and who we choose to give power. Otherwise, we might end up losing sight of what it means to be human altogether.
About the Author
Phillip Schneider is a student and a staff writer for Waking Times.
This article (Facebook Teams Up with Shady DARPA Executive to Scan Your Brain and Augment Your Reality) was originally created and published by Waking Times and is published here under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Phillip Schneider and WakingTimes.com. It may be re-posted freely with proper attribution, author bio, and this copyright statement.
