One major computing societal conclusion we can make from Black Mirror: The National Anthem, is how fast networked communications and social media can overrule someone's privacy, security, and ethical decision making. The episode displayed how modern technology can turn something that is supposed to be a private matter and turn it into a public event within minutes. The government's focus shifted once it was spread throughout social media, they became worried about the public's opinion due to how many people were aware of the situation, rather than ethically deciding how to fix the crisis. While social media is supposed to be a way to connect people together, the episode goes into the negative effects of this and demonstrates how pressure, fear, and unethical decisions can alter how people react.
The role of networked communications in this episode demonstrates the conclusion we have made. The kidnapper was able to successfully spread the video within minutes despite the government's attempt to shut it down, leading to this situation becoming a worldwide event. Once the video was spread, people from all of the country were watching and commenting on the situation which ultimately lead to the government being more cautious to how they responded. Rather than having the option to handle the situation privately, they were forced to publicly handle it and worry about how people would respond to their actions. This highlights that networked communication can spread information faster than the government can respond, and that public scrutiny can play a major role in people's decisions.
Another issue that is shown in the episode relates to both information privacy and government privacy. Once the crisis began, The Prime Minister's life was put on a pedestal and he was exposed constantly through different news outlets and social media platforms. The government's original plan which was to keep this crisis private, however this quickly became unrealistic because online watchers and the media were closely watching their every move. The opinion of the public became so overwhelming that it lead to The Prime Minister engaging in disturbing actions that he most likely would not have done if the public was not involved. This idea dives into the real world concerns of how difficult it is to truly protect your privacy, especially in a society today where social media, digital networks, and news outlets are heavily used.
The last major issue that was displayed is computer network security weaknesses. The kidnapper was able to successfully manipulate both the government and the public while remaining anonymous highlighting some vulnerabilities within the network security. Despite the government having advanced technology, intelligence agencies, and security professionals they were still unable to effectively gain control of the situation or figure out who was behind the attack. The biggest challenge the government faced was that once the digital information was spread across interconnected systems, it became extremely difficult to manage and completely erase. Overall, the episode is able to accurately show the concerns of how much technology and social media can have an impact on society.