From AI surveillance to Criminalized Homelessness, Privacy Is Under Siege, Especially for the Most Vulnerable People in Society
If you’ve followed my bi-monthly column, you know I’m a strong advocate for privacy—not just for homeless individuals but everyone. Privacy is a fundamental right that should never be taken for granted or dismissed as insignificant. The mindset of “I don’t care, I have nothing to hide” is short-sighted and potentially dangerous. What may seem harmless today could be judged differently tomorrow, underscoring the importance of safeguarding our privacy in all circumstances.
The Criminalization of Homelessness: A Frightening New Reality
When I first lost my home in April of 2017, I never thought I would be living in a world where homeless internment camps—detention centers for unhoused individuals—would exist in America. Nor did I imagine artificial intelligence would take over so much of our lives without most people even being aware. Yet here we are in 2024.
Living in a vehicle was never fully allowed, but it was often quietly tolerated. Most people in that situation, whether choosing it as a lifestyle or forced into it by circumstances, tried to keep a low profile. For the most part, it was safe as long as you avoided drawing attention. But today, overnighting in a vehicle is far more dangerous, even if you’re doing your best to remain unnoticed.
There was always the fear of a knock on the window in the middle of the night. Now, that fear has grown as homelessness is being criminalized nationwide.
Technology’s Role in Privacy Erosion and Polarization
We think of mobile phones as necessities in modern life, and they’ve become part of our everyday existence. While there was always an understanding that they weren’t fully private, the recent wave of AI-powered assistant features has made it more apparent than ever: privacy doesn’t exist.
This technology isn’t just invasive—it also controls what content you see. For example, if you love cats and watch cat videos, your feed will be filled with more of them. But what about people looking up political or polarizing issues? They’re also fed recommendations, reinforcing their opinions rather than offering differing perspectives.
When it comes to homelessness-related topics, this can be particularly harmful. If all someone sees are claims that Housing First doesn’t work or that most homeless individuals are substance abusers, those stereotypes become solidified, even if they’re not based on facts. This cycle deepens polarization and reinforces harmful narratives.
Big Brother and the Threat to Homeless Individuals
For homeless people, mobile phones are lifelines to resources, work opportunities, and housing leads. Yet, as “Big Brother” technologies advance, these same phones can become surveillance tools. This is especially concerning for those receiving phones through social services, as tracking data could one day be used to justify sending someone to a homeless internment camp.
What was once an impractical idea—having human workers examine tracking data—is now feasible with AI, which can analyze this information faster, cheaper, and more accurately.
I never argue with naysayers or people who have differing opinions. When I present the information I’ve learned through studying it myself (I don’t consult AI for anything), I never force it on anyone. If they want to learn more, I encourage them to do their own research. If they don’t believe it (or don’t want to, as is so often the case), I say, “Okay,” and move on. I refuse to debate any difference of opinion, and I will not fight. However, I feel sorry for some people who would instead hold to an outdated opinion or dismiss my findings because they don’t follow what’s happening in technology. Still, I learned long ago that you can only lead a horse to water (as the saying goes).
If someone doesn’t see the danger or downside to having a connected car report and record everything you do, then maybe you’re lucky. A person like myself, who has had to live out of my van, is grateful that my vehicle isn’t tracking me or reporting any data to anyone. The term we have for vehicle dwelling is “stealth camping”. Being “stealth” in a connected “Big Brother” car is hard.
The Perils of Technology for the Homeless Community
Carrying technology can also be risky in other ways. If you live on the street or in a tent, your devices can be stolen. The thought of my personal information falling into the wrong hands is terrifying.
In a recent podcast, Invisible People’s Mark Horvath interviewed Reporter Kate Cagle who brought up the importance of privacy for homeless people. She used the example of how revealing the location of a homeless woman resulted in strangers coming to the encampment hoping to find prostitutes. The fact is, even small bits of information can be enough for a determined stalker or someone looking to harm homeless people, able to locate them or report their location to authorities, and that makes even seemingly unimportant information very dangerous.
Then, there is another point about technology: how it replaces jobs typically sought by homeless people. I’m not just talking about Flippy replacing humans in fast-food restaurants. I’m also talking about companies that no longer need graphic artists because they can now use AI to do those tasks. AI will do more and more jobs, and fewer will be available to people trying to pay their bills and keep a roof over their heads.
I do not doubt that the rise in homelessness that we’ve been seeing since even before COVID-19 will continue. Sadly, no technology is being implemented to fix the problem.
Of course, it is strange and sometimes pondered, if you price most people out of living, then who are you selling your robotic-built products to? The answer I sometimes hear is that this planet will enter a post-scarcity era thanks to AI. If that happens, I don’t believe it will happen in my lifetime, and I don’t believe the greed-driven will stop and make sure that we poverty-stricken people are going to be okay. We simply don’t matter.
Losing Our Voice: The Decline of Social Media Advocacy
Finally, there was a brief time when homeless people and our advocates were finding a voice. It was social media. Only a few short years ago, those of us who could use social media could be a voice to show the world how we live and what we face. We could show the world that we are human beings worthy of help and a chance to get our lives back. But, as always, that too has been taken away.
Our accounts and posts are shown to very few today versus just two years ago. Accounts that once received many followers and engagements see far less growth and engagement. That includes Invisible People, whose posts have been limited on some media platforms.
As a Star Trek fan, I want to love moving into the tech world of the future, but sadly, we live in the evil “mirror” universe where brutality, hate, and lack of empathy rule over a greed-driven society. Technology will be used in the worst ways possible, especially toward people deemed useless by those in power. Without action, privacy will continue to erode, leaving those already marginalized even more exposed and powerless.
