1984

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Do you ever feel like you're being watched? Somewhere out there, in the big expanse of the world, sits a man - or woman, or a whole warehouse full of them - gazing meticulously at a bunch of screens, looking for a misdemeanour or some form of evidence that you're 'not right in the head' and 'a danger to society'. What if everything you do is being scrutinised without your agreement? They - whomsoever they may be - know your daily habits; they know the websites you frequent, the games you play, your political persuasions and your shopping needs. They read the blog posts you write, getting to know you better than most people know you. They see the answers you give when you complete surveys, knowing that you prefer tea to coffee and watch EastEnders and don't like beer, much. They don't need to guess your password because they can see exactly how much money you have in the bank, and what you're buying your Mumsy for Christmas and what pills you're getting a repeat prescription for - they know how doolally you are. Perhaps we are all having our online life scrutinised. Maybe none of us are. But if you knew for definite that somebody was able to see every move you made online, would you change your habits? At all?