Who’s Watching Whom

With PRISM, Snowden, NSA and privacy grabbing headlines over the past few weeks we’ve seen an increasing amount of attention getting turned on the eyes of those watching our online and offline lives. Countless voices have taken to the airwaves and tubes to weigh in on where lines should be drawn and whether those rules should be different depending on the intent of those prying eyes- be they corporate or government for ad targeting or target practice.

And while that debate can and does continue to rage, I can’t help but feel a sense that another dimension to this debate is also taking shape.

Last night I watched social media light up as the #standwithwendy filibuster played out in Austin, TX. While traditional media was content to debate Kanye and the Kardashians or, apparently, the calorie count of blueberry muffins nearly 200,000 people were tuned into the Texas Tribune’s YouTube livestream as the events played out. Simultaneously, individuals took to the airwave to broadcast their own livestreams, tweets and status updates from around the Capitol. 

As online observers watched the final votes called for AFTER the midnight deadline, they furiously grabbed screenshots of documents getting manipulated in real-time as recorders fumbled to cover tracks in an attempt to push the legislation through.

Then, shortly after the legislation was officially filibustered, Sen. Davis sent a letter to her friends and supporters stating:

Although I was the one with the microphone on the floor of the senate today, it was your voice and your words- it was your filibuster.

And in many respects it was. The groups following along from the senate floor to the internet were very much a part of this filibuster. As eyes fixed on the situation, actions were uncovered that could very well have led to this legislation slipping through. But collective eyes were watching.

And these eyes are increasing and getting increasingly leveraged against insituations that have historically enjoyed a dark opaqueness to their actions and outcomes. What started only a few years ago with the global #occupy movement has matured and evolved in ways that we’re seeing play out today in Turkey, Brazil and right here in the USA.

We are watching.

And tho we’re still in the awkward phases of effectively organizing and exercising that influence, progress is being made. Resources are being exposed. And mouthpieces like Sen. Wendy Davis are stepping forward to lend a voice to our words.

So whether our actions and outrage change PRISM or PageRank, the message last night sent loudly and clearly to the eyes watching us is that we’re watching too.