For many years, infrastructure meant the foundation, structure and subordinate parts of an organization, namely the military. However, with the advent of new technology, the definition as come to take on new meanings. According to the reading, new media infrastructures include cable, satellites, internet, and wireless telephony. Recently, I read an article on China’s “Sky-net” video surveillance system. This system consists of hundreds of thousand of video surveillance cameras across the country along with data processing hubs. The goal is for the cameras to be able to collect data about a given person based purely off facial recognition in a matter of seconds. State run media claimed that it could scan the entire Chinese population in one second if needed (1). In China, this is just another in a string of policies that infringe on basic privacy rights, This system exemplifies the intersection of both our infrastructure and data keywords. It shows how powerful infrastructure can be, and how dangerous it can be if in the wrong hands. It is a reminder that, despite the many conveniences that technology, data collection, and infrastructure bring to our lives, the dangers that accompany them must be considered and discussed.
1: https://cset.georgetown.edu/article/chinas-sharp-eyes-program-aims-to-surveil-100-of-public-space/#:~:text=SkyNet%20focused%20on%20installing%20cameras,technical%20limitations%2C%E2%80%9D%20Peterson%20wrote.
I think that it’s very important to acknowledge the bittersweetness of technology, it’s like a double edged sword. Due to many of the technological advances that have been made, they are not all good or humane. Such as the article referenced here, I think that the ability to do what China is doing with technology is profound, yet also incredibly inhumane. This is my own subjective opinion, but yeah, I think that technology is equally as bad, as it is good. Much like a coin, there are two sides to it.
I like your example of “Sky-net” in China and I agree that data and technology also bring danger to us despite connivance. It is interesting to see that infrastructure includes a lot of information and data from people. So the government needs to make sure our information is safe.” Sky-net” works in another way is protect people as an infrastructure. It reminds me of the advertisement of 5G of China Mobile talks about police with 5G smart sunglasses and using “Sky-net” to catch thieves in a short time through face recognition and intelligent positioning. The infrastructure is powerful. The key is how government and capitalism use our information.