To Our Culture, Convenience And Entertainment Outrank Freedom
October 25, 2024
By David Bowen
Reprinted from Harbinger’s Daily
I must admit upfront that this article is personally troublesome. This bothers me deeply. Why? Because I know what I am about to talk about is something the general population is going to embrace with a great deal of enthusiasm and excitement. This technology will be something people will rave about, which will cause even more people to jump on the bandwagon. However, my deep concern is that this new technology is going to cause people to eventually be placed into bondage.
I ponder verses such as 1 John 4:1 and 2 Corinthians 11:3. First John 4 warns us to “not believe every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they are from God because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
Second Corinthians 11 warns, “As the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.”
Jesus warned us in Matthew 24 to “See to it that no one misleads you.”
I am deeply concerned that our culture is about to embrace technology that will eventually be used to control, deceive, and lead people away from truth, all in the name of convenience and entertainment. Have you heard of the new Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses? This is a partnership between Meta and Ray-Ban.
With these glasses, you can take photos just by tapping them. You can take a video the same way. You’ll have the ability to instantly live stream on Facebook or Instagram. These glasses proudly promote the fact that they have AI built-in, allowing you to ask questions. That all sounds amazing, that is, until you begin to see the big picture.
Several reviews say these glasses are the best headphones they have ever owned. Reviewers rave online about how you can wear these glasses and listen to whatever you choose. You have the ability to double-tap to forward, pause, or control the volume. If you go for a walk, you can listen to an audiobook, or if you wish, you can make a phone call or a meta call, all hands-free, of course. If you are in the car, these glasses will give you directions as you drive.
On the Meta.com website, you’ll find this description:
We’re making it easier to have a conversation with Meta AI. Kick off your conversation with “Hey Meta” to ask your initial question, and then you can ask follow-up questions without saying “Hey Meta” again. And you no longer need to say “look” to ask Meta AI questions about what you’re looking at.
We’re adding the ability for your glasses to help you remember things. Next time you fly somewhere, you don’t have to sweat forgetting where you parked at the airport—your glasses can remember your spot in long-term parking for you. You can also use your voice to set a reminder to text your mom safely within three hours of landing.
You can now ask Meta AI to record and send voice messages on WhatsApp and Messenger while staying present. This is especially handy when your hands are full or you can’t get to your phone easily to write a text.
We’re adding video to Meta AI so you can get continuous real-time help. If you’re exploring a new city, you can ask Meta AI to tag along and then ask about landmarks you see as you walk or get ideas for what to see next.
Sounds incredible, right? This is how far this technology will go. The Meta website says these glasses can be your Packing Partner under the “Tips & Tricks for Traveling with Your Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses” section. For example, the site promotes how these glasses can help you pick outfits for your trip. Try laying your favorite top out and saying, “Hey, Meta, look and tell me what type of hat goes well with this shirt?”
Are we really at a point where we need technology to invade our lives to the point that we cannot pick out an outfit without yielding to AI? Do you understand why this is so deeply concerning?
Is there a downside? Of course. Two Harvard University students were able to hack strangers’ information by wearing these glasses and looking at them. The danger here is that someone can hack your personal information stored in AI data, such as your phone numbers, home addresses, or even your social security number. All the user needs to do is look at the person.
How can this be? The Harvard students use PimEyes facial recognition, and in doing so, they could instantly pull up the personal information of strangers, again, just by scanning their faces. PimEyes is an online facial search engine that goes through the Internet to find pictures of people’s faces. PimEyes uses facial recognition search technologies to perform a reverse image search. The company website advertises this, “Find a face and check where the image appears online. Our face finder helps you find a face. Facial recognition online system allows you to search by image.”
Do you realize what this means? Anyone could scan your face without you knowing it, and by scanning your face, it’s possible for anyone to gain access to your address, your phone number, and any information you have in a digital format.
In 2021, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook had changed its corporate name to Meta. He said the Meta rebrand is meant to reflect his ambition to become known for more than just social media. In a public interview, Zuckerberg said, “Facebook is one of the most used products in the world. But increasingly, it doesn’t encompass everything that we do. Right now, our brand is so tightly linked to [Facebook]. But over time, I hope we are seen as a metaverse company.”
A metaverse company, what does that really mean? What is the ultimate goal? Once the public is hooked on this amazing technology, what comes next?
Remember Jesus’ warning in Matthew 24, “See to it that no one misleads you.” Remember the warning in 2 Corinthians 11, reminding us that “the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness” and warning us to be careful or “your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.”
Once this technology is accepted in the daily lives of the general public, the powers that be will easily lead us into the next stage. The General Services Administration, or GSA, will begin offering facial recognition technology as an option for users of Login.gov, a one-stop for government-provided public services, to verify their identities.
On Wednesday, October 9, 2024, GSA’s Technology Transformation Services announced it will allow Login.gov users to verify their identity online through facial technology that meets standards set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s 800-63-3 Identity Assurance Level 2 (IAL2) guidelines. This means anyone receiving government-provided public services, such as food stamps or social security, will eventually have to use facial recognition to receive those services. This will slowly transition to anyone attending a university, checking into a hospital, or having to go to court.
From their own website, the General Services Administration says that the offering of one-to-one face matching has been independently certified as compliant with a government-backed standard for digital identity proofing set by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, called identity assurance level two.
Federal agencies use Login.gov to verify people’s identities when logging in to access government benefits and services. This site already has over 100 million users across over 50 federal and state agencies. This is how future users will have to verify their identity to access information and benefits.
Login.gov, a secure sign-in and identity verification service for US government services, has announced the rollout of facial recognition services to streamline access. In a public statement, a GSA Administrator said:
Proving your identity is a critical step in receiving many government benefits and services, and we want to ensure we are making that as easy and secure as possible for members of the public. After months of testing and delays in 2023, users will now be able to verify their identity using a “proven facial matching technology” approved by the General Services Administration, which will follow the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and will rely on “best-in-class facial matching algorithms.”
Did you catch that? “Proving your identity is a critical step in receiving many government benefits and services, and we want to ensure we are making that as easy and secure as possible for members of the public.” They are not hiding what their plans are. You will be controlled. You will have no personal freedom. If you need a hospital, if you wish to attend a university, if you want to get a marriage or driver’s license, or if you want to travel, you will need to abide by these rules.
Jesus warned us in Matthew 24 to “see to it that no one misleads you.”
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