Smishing, Scams, and Human Trafficking

TCAST

Dealing with the threat of being catfished, phished, or scammed out of your personal information and money online has become a crucial aspect of internet health and safety. Plenty of companies invest heavily in cybersecurity and educational materials to ensure their clients, especially vulnerable parties like the elderly and other underrepresented online communities, do not fall victim to these malicious actors.

Join Alexander and Jason as they explore modern technology and cryptocurrency’s relationship with human trafficking and internet scams.

Depriving People of Free Will

Pig butchering is a special kind of scam where the malicious actor builds up a close relationship with their victim over time, similar to the way that pigs are fattened up before slaughter. There are entire scam centers in Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia, where people have been deceived and trafficked specifically to man these locations.

On a less direct level, tech companies are playing the long game with your attention span and data. You are being bombarded with offers, discounts, promotions, and information every minute you spend online with the end goal of getting you addicted to their reality.

The very act of donning an AR or VR headset is disconcerting because it cuts you off from the world in a very physical sense. All the sensory and peripheral information you’re used to receiving is cut off and you are hyper-focused on what the technology feeds you.

Avoiding Dystopia in the Metaverse

Every opportunity for worldbuilding comes with the threat of creating a dystopia. It’s easy to live under false pretenses. But the disrespect for human autonomy, free will, and the value of work will eventually have a negative impact on our society.

If we start working against this today, we still have the time to change the course of technological development. As data champions, we need to ensure that the technology designed does not squander our free will and replace a human beings. Rather, it should become an extension of our personhood, and the embodiment of respect for our free will.

What’s your data worth?

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