Constant Surveillance in 1984 & Modern Day Surveillance

 The twist at the end of book two, when it turns out that the storekeeper was a member of the thought police, comes to light when both Winston and Julia recognize that the whole time they spent together was under the surveillance of their oppressive government. But the way they find out they have been caught was interesting- the whole time a telescreen watching and listening to them was behind a painting! This secret and impressive way of catching the two of them brings to light the ways our life now is surveilled in similar ways. 

Firstly, our right to privacy through our phones is not as set in stone as one might think. Following 9/11, for instance, the U.S. government passed the Patriot Act, which among other things expanded their authority over tracking phone communications, and the activities of those on the internet. However, at the same time, there have been documented cases of Apple not unlocking users' iPhones when they were under investigation by the FBI. So at the very least, it can be said that this issue is still contentious. 

Regardless, everyone is being tracked through the websites we use on our phones as well. Many companies actually tell their customers this as well, but they hide it under the guise of “ad personalization”, while in actuality they are spying on their users. They are collecting data on you in order to best sell you things. Which is just as creepy as it sounds. Sounds a little like- 1984 right? Not too far off? 

I could definitely imagine something like this happening in an alternative 1984, where commodities are being sold through this method.

Were there any moments where you saw other similarities in the surveillance in 1984 and now?