He Keeps Droning On

Police use of Chinese drones ‘risks UK security
(The Telegraph 13 February 2023)

One of the world’s largest drone manufacturers was blacklisted by the US as a national security concern back in 2020. But this is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

In the UK, some 230 of the 337 drones operated by the police are from this company. There are fears that the apps that fly the drones could download confidential data from the operators’ phones.

It is believed that some drones have used their cameras to take pictures without their operator’s knowledge. The pictures may have been sent back to the Chinese company.

Let us take a look at some of our household equipment that may be taking a look at us. The most obvious is our television. We sit for hours staring at the screen without realizing that the screen is staring at us. Watching yet another young lady take off her clothes? Your interest has been noted and reported.

Thinking that no one is watching, you slip one more slice of white bread into the toaster. Think again. Your toaster knows that you have eaten enough and will not turn on. If you try to make it toast, you will be toast.

That innocent-looking alarm clock by the side of your bed knows when you should get up and start the day. Try as you might, you cannot turn it off.

Wife out, girlfriend coming round? Don’t let her touch the doorbell. Your smart doorbell has a high-definition infrared camera and records your visitor’s comings and goings. An old-fashioned knock on the door is your best bet.

Girlfriend gone, wife coming home? If you want clean, unrumpled sheets on your bed don’t use the washing machine. Smart washers have an internet connection allowing remote control and monitoring. Your wife, sitting on a bus, is watching the washing go round and round.

A quick glass of whiskey, or maybe two, but don’t take any ice from your Smart Fridge. A high-tech Smart Fridge can detect what is stored in it and keep track of usage. It knows, or can guess, where that ice cube is going and will know exactly how many glasses you have had.

But most invidious is Google Maps. Our personal information, even information we do not know we have, is an open book for Google. It knows and stores our search history, the location of our mobile devices, any advertisements we have seen, videos we have watched. It is probably reading this blog as I write it.

Many readers, myself among them, have never heard of Jens Eilstrup Rasmussen. But he has heard of you, he knows where to find you. This Danish software engineer was a co-founder of Where 2 Technologies which led to Google Maps.

Dear editor, don’t blame me. This blog was written by my fridge.