Kamal Al Mansour
New World Order #3: Human Mined, 2013
Collage on Paper - Fabric, Paper & Digital
43”W x 25.5”H
Artist Statement
New World Order No. 3: Human Mined (Privacy Rights Transformed) addresses the paradox of the latest trend and almost compulsive use of social media (Twitter, Facebook, Google, Instagram) by a rising number of people in the U.S. and other countries, and the tracking/monitoring of such social media and personal customer data/content by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) under their top-secret spy program known as PRISM. Many (ACLU and others) consider the objectives and actions of PRISM to be an invasion of privacy by the U.S. of its citizens, but which also includes any Customer of these services.This piece attempts to explore this paradox further by raising questions rather than presenting answers. All of the "personal" data/content freely and voluntarily posted on Twitter, Facebook, Google, Instagram, and others is freely and voluntarily posted. When searches are done on Google, Yahoo, and Bing, those searches are stored and organically feed the algorithms that drive the search engines. That data is stored, used, and sold. Many of the apps installed on mobile devices fueling much of this growing social media world explicitly ask you or tell you that they need access to certain data/systems on your device, i.e., contacts, network settings, location (GPS), other apps, etc. You can accept or decline these terms of use. The companies creating these apps sell the data collected to Acxiom and others and now know everything about you, but you don't know anything about what is done with this data. The paradox arises when, under PRISM, the NSA can track & monitor all of your data by accessing the systems of the companies that collect the data you freely and openly provide but now claim is private.I use the visual analogy of a human subject being mined for their genome, but instead of DNA/chromosomes, it is personal data – your habits, who you are, what you think, who your friends are, what you buy, where you go, what you do, and on and on. Very similar to an operation (exploratory surgery). There is an invasion into the body to collect information so that your doctor learns more about your body (and mind) to understand your DNA or genetic makeup. That genetic code reveals and explains everything about you. Such an operation is voluntary and based on informed consent and subject to HIPAA (SDF), a signed statement regarding your right to privacy, and a specific description regarding how your personal information is used.Regarding personal data (Facebook status, Twitter feeds, Instagram photos, email, text messages, cell phone calls), what should the expectation of privacy be? What right should the Constitution guarantee, if we in fact, waive the right of privacy by divulging everything about ourselves? What obligation do Facebook, Google, Apple, Verizon, or others have to protect our data in a public cloud?Everything we buy with a debit or credit card is tracked and tied to UPCs (it has been for years, long before there was Google), compiled, and sold. We leave behind more digital DNA than human DNA. We have actually created and provided the personal data we now despise the government for tracking and monitoring.Lastly, New World Order No. 3: Human Mined (Privacy Rights Transformed) raises more questions--does the objective of PRISM (or what the NSA proclaims is the prevention of terroristic acts/threats to national security) outweigh the right to privacy guaranteed by the Bill of Rights? Is there a balance? Or, are the privacy rights of all Americans/people, here and after "transformed"?