Chapter 6: Government Privacy

The topic of government privacy, as depicted in "Terminator Dark Fate," revolves around the security challenges of the government's extensive collection and storage of personal information. The film shows the Rev-9 terminator effortlessly utilizing government databases, surveillance systems, and UAVs to track its targets, highlighting the potential risks of unchecked government surveillance and data collection [10]. 

This mirrors real-world concerns, some of which were exposed by whistleblower Edward Snowden, who exposed the NSA's PRISM program, among others. PRISM collects data from major online platforms through backdoor direct access to their servers, including companies like Microsoft, Google, Facebook, and YouTube, which we can see in the picture below [1, 6]. As of 2011, the NSA has acquired over 250 million internet communications per year, with the vast majority falling under PRISM [1].

The film suggests scenarios where government surveillance and tracking technologies can be weaponized against citizens, threatening their civil liberties and democratic principles. The Rev-9 terminator's unrelenting pursuit of Dani using government surveillance tools highlights the dangers of unchecked government power and especially the need for robust defenses surrounding individual privacy. This can be seen when the Rev-9 terminator broke into the Rathium Data Center [7] and when it hacked a UAV to track and kill Dani and the group [8]. Some concerns in real life could be how government surveillance programs disproportionately affect marginalized communities, according to the American Civil Liberties Union [2]. Furthermore, a study by the Pew Research Center found that 52% of Americans are either very concerned or somewhat concerned about government surveillance and the collection of telephone and internet data for national security [3]. "Since 2014, the US government has suffered 1,283 breaches affecting more than 200 million records [9]". In theory, if someone/something managed to get their hands on the data the government has on you, the potential damage they can inflict cannot be understated. 

Legislations such as the Privacy Act of 1974 and the E-Government Act of 2002 aim to enhance the security and transparency of government information systems while establishing guidelines for federal agencies to collect, maintain, and disseminate electronic information. One way this is done is by allowing individuals to access federal files about themselves stored in government databases [10]. This has notable loopholes, as The Privacy Act excludes private databases, where more information is held that the government can purchase. Also, federal agencies can choose to exempt certain databases, such as the IRS, which exempted the databases they used to store names under investigation. One way The E-Government Act is done is through Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) by agencies that develop or procure new intelligence, in which they describe their methods. This act represents an early attempt to address the challenges posed by digital government initiatives and underscores the ongoing efforts to balance technological advancement with privacy protection [4, 5,10].

In summary, "Terminator Dark Fate" warns about what may happen with the abuse of government databases and surveillance systems. It highlights the importance of maintaining privacy rights with the rise of advancing technology and an increasingly digitalized world, urging for robust defenses to protect individual privacy and civil liberties. 

References:

1. T.C. Sottek, "NSA used PRISM to collect more than 200 million internet communications a year as of 2011" (The Verge, Aug 21, 2013) https://www.theverge.com/2013/8/21/4645042/nsa-prism-internet-communication-collection-200-million-fisc-order (April 28th, 2024)

2. Sana Mayat, "New National Security Programs, Same Old Dangerous Patterns" (ACLU, June 16, 2022) https://www.aclu.org/news/national-security/new-national-security-programs-same-old-dangerous-patterns (April 28th, 2024)

3. SHIVA MANIAM, "Americans feel the tensions between privacy and security concerns", (Pew Research Center, FEBRUARY 19, 2016) https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2016/02/19/americans-feel-the-tensions-between-privacy-and-security-concerns/ (April 28th, 2024)

4. U.S. Government Accountability Office, "Protecting Personal Privacy" (GAO) https://www.gao.gov/protecting-personal privacy#:~:text=Policymakers%20face%20some%20key%20challenges,purposes%20and%20who%20holds%20it. (April 28th, 2024)

5. Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties, "E-Government Act of 2002" (DOJ, February 13, 2019) https://www.justice.gov/opcl/e-government-act-2002 (April 28th, 2024)

6. Washington Post, "NSA slides explain the PRISM data-collection program" (Washington Post, June 6, 2013) https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/prism-collection-documents/ (April 28th, 2024)

7. Miller, T. (2019). Terminator: Dark Fate. Paramount Pictures (46:47)

8. Miller, T. (2019). Terminator: Dark Fate. Paramount Pictures (57:24)

9. Brian Doto, "The Importance of Federal-Only Data Centers in Addressing Security Risk" (QTS, April 15, 2024) https://qtsdatacenters.com/resources/articles/federal-only-data-centers#:~:text=%E2%80%9CSince%202014%2C%20the%20US%20government,more%20than%20200%20million%20records%E2%80%9D.&text=The%20closer%20an%20adversary%20can,easily%2C%20or%20simply%20exfiltrate%20data. . (April 28th, 2024)

10. Micheal Quinn, Ethics For The Information Age. 8th ed., Chapter 6. Pearson, 2020