Chapter 5: Information Privacy

In "Terminator Dark Fate," the scene where the Rev-9 Terminator easily hacks into surveillance cameras to locate an individual within a large group demonstrates the invasive nature of surveillance technology. 

This scenario mirrors real-world concerns about using such technology for tracking and recognition without individuals' consent. According to a report by the Pew Research Center, 95% of Americans own cell phones [3], with many unknownly using location-based services that can be exploited for tracking purposes by malicious individuals. Moreover, the widespread availability of real-time location data, as demonstrated by reports revealing the exposure of 12 million Americans' location information online [4], highlights the insecure state of information privacy in the digital age through extensive data collection [8]. Location-based apps, such as Google Maps, would need your location, but funnily/scaredly enough, games such as Angry Birds also collect your location information and sell them to data brokers [8]. By showcasing the ability to access and manipulate surveillance systems, the film highlights concerns about the potential abuse of technology for tracking and recognition without one's consent. This serves as a reminder of the importance of privacy rights in surveillance.

Additionally, the ease of tracking phones in the movie further emphasizes the risky state of information privacy in the digital age. As seen in the film, Sarah emphasizes keeping cell phones in foil chip bags to block cell phone tracking. Once Dani removed the device for a moment, Carl could instantly track them down. This can be summarized by a quote from Carl, "If you want to keep your phone in a bag of potato chips, then keep your phone in a bag of potato chips." [7]. While Sarah's situation in the film may suggest a level of anonymity compared to the average user, given that the government didn't track her down despite being one of America's most wanted, the ease of tracking serves as a reminder of the potential consequences of unconditional surveillance and data collection.

Furthermore, the capability of the Rev-9 terminator being able to essentially steal someone's physical identity, killing them in the process, underscores the dangers of identity theft. This aligns with statistics on identity theft, with Norton reporting that over 47 million consumers fell victim to identity theft in 2022, amounting to over 532 million hours spent resolving issues [5]. Additionally, the film's depiction of biometric vulnerabilities echoes real-world findings, such as researchers' ability to create 3D models of faces using methods such as the Point Distribution Model (PDM), achieving an accuracy of 91.4% in facial recognition [6].

Overall, information privacy is shown in the film by highlighting the concerns surrounding surveillance, tracking, and biometrics, leading viewers to consider the importance of protecting personal information and privacy rights in our increasingly digital society.   

References:

1. Miller, T. (2019). Terminator: Dark Fate. Paramount Pictures (46:23)

2. Nikolay Pankov, "Terminator 6/3: Sarah Connor and a bag of chips" (Kaspersky, November 8, 2019), https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/terminator-dark-fate-chips/29156/ (April 6th, 2024)

3. RISA GELLES-WATNICK, "Americans’ Use of Mobile Technology and Home Broadband", (Pew Research Center, JANUARY 31, 2024), https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/01/31/americans-use-of-mobile-technology-and-home-broadband/ (April 28th, 2024)

4. Charlie Warzel and Stuart A. Thompson, "Twelve Million Americans Were Tracked Through Their Phones" (The New York Times, Dec. 19, 2019), https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/19/opinion/tracking-phone-data.html (April 28th, 2024)

5. Norton,  2023 Norton Cyber Safety Insights Report (GEN, February 2023), https://www.gendigital.com/media/aq2bu5io/2023-ncsir-us-global-report_final.pdf (April 28th, 2024)

6. Samatas, G. G., & Papakostas, G. A. (2022). Biometrics: Going 3D. Sensors (Basel, Switzerland), 22(17), 6364. https://doi.org/10.3390/s22176364  (April 28th, 2024)

7. Miller, T. (2019). Terminator: Dark Fate. Paramount Pictures (1:17:59)

8. Micheal Quinn, Ethics For The Information Age. 8th ed., Chapter 5.3. Pearson, 2020