A world without privacy.

I had a dream last night.  Every smartphone that is powered on is discoverable and mapped (longitude and latitude accurate to 1 meter).

My first curiosity is “what are the positive outcomes vs. the negative impact?”  I’ve decide to do a “best case scenario” and a “worse case scenario”.   Not sure which if either would exist if there was no privacy.

BEST CASE SCENARIO

• Crime rates fall 62% in Detroit alone.

• Infidelity rates drop to an all time low

• First responders reduce death rates by 3 fold

• Car pooling “Uber” style becomes the norm saving billions in dollars and reducing our carbon footprint

• Charity becomes targeted.  The efficiency of every charitable dollar increases substantially.

• Statistics and Analytics for every event, street corner, and neighborhood is near real time and free for all to analyze and validate.

• Targeted marketing becomes accepted and even pleasing.   EXAMPLE:  You are in Isle 15 at Walmart at 1200 King Street, Charleston, SC and Proctor & Gamble sends you a notification to get your toothpaste.

• The Fire Apes (local band) receives a report after their gig from The Windjammer on attendance including demographics, floor times and revenue reports (including tips).

WORSE CASE SCENARIO

• Crime rates go up!  Everybody knows where everybody is moment by moment

• Targeted marketing becomes intrusive and overwhelming

• “Double Lives” become the norm

• We (all of us) feel a loss of liberty and oversight that creates a global “rebel” force that constantly hacks the system.

Such a world would never exist.