[ Chapter 6 ]
Privacy and the Government
Privacy and Government plays a major role in the movie WALL-E but its importance is localized entirely to one scene. This scene can be viewed in 2 ways, one where the company BuyNLarge is treated as a company and one where it is treated as a government entity. Both are plausible as it is treated in the movie as a company, evident through the advertisements on the ship, and as a government, seen by all of humanity leaving earth on its ships which have no other government entity to be seen.
The scene in question takes place when the captain of the Axiom attempts to find out why humanity cannot return to earth, despite the proof of plant life found by EVE, and AUTO reluctantly reveals a video made by BuyNLarge's CEO soon after the first departures of humanity from earth, stating not to return to earth. The importance of this in regards to information privacy comes from the video being classified, with even the captain of the ship having to ask several times to see the video despite having the highest clearance and authority on the ship. This makes it clear that the plan to abandon earth would not be known nor accessible to regular people, who make up almost all of the Axiom's population. This becomes an issue as the Axiom and its trip in space was advertised to have been a 5-year trip into space, while earth was being cleaned by robots like WALL-E, but ended up as a 700-year trip without the disclosure of this information.
If BuyNLarge is seen as a company, it would be subject to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)'s requirements of information disclosure to its customers. Because BuyNLarge's promise was a 5-year trip into space, the failure to disclose this major change in plans would qualify as failure "Any material impairment" to its investors, in this case, the humans aboard the Axiom[1].
Alternatively, if BuyNLarge is seen as a government, it would be subject to the Freedom of Information Act, FOIA. As the FOIA factors in public interest in regards to access to information, BuyNLarge's decision to abandon earth and stay in space is a situation which would be found to be in public interest[2]. Their denial of information vital to the futures lives and decisions of their citizens would infringe the citizens right to access information.
It is worth noting that because both WALL-E and EVE's personalities are results of a glitch [1] and they aren't human but instead AI, their right to privacy doesn't particularly exist, and the same applies to any other machines or robots on the Axiom.
[1]: SEC Office of Investor Education and Advocacy, "Principles of Corporate Disclosure," (SEC, September 2008), https://www.sec.gov/about/offices/oia/oia_corpfin/princdisclos.pdf (accessed May 1, 2023).
[2]: Department of Justice, Office of Information Policy, "FOIA Update: FOIA Counselor Factoring Public Interest", https://www.justice.gov/oip/blog/foia-update-foia-counselor-factoring-public-interest (accessed May 1, 2023).