Who is looking over us? Who authorizes us? And most importantly, who teaches us right from wrong? In the novel 1984 by George Orwell, Big Brother and the Thought Police was in control of Oceania's way of living and even though we may not see it, our government plays a similar role to what is seen as abnormal in this story. The themes in this novel are very accurate to today's way of living. Even though we do not have telescreens, V chips and area trackers computers and/or apps do exist, and are very much alike. A lot has changed in these last decades, but the hunger for power that the government has, causes the surveillance that we are now a victim of. The setting in 1984, Oceania's government, our modern world and government are some of the different ways that the contemporary surveillance can be compared to. .
Both the Thought Police and US government supervise their society by visual surveillance. For example, right when Winston and Julia begin to think they are in a safe position by hiding in the secret room, they realize that they had been watched this whole time when an iron voice behind them(182) says You are dead. (182). The telescreens are supposed to be 2- way windows, but are really hidden cameras. This is a trick. For some people, it may just seem like an ordinary window when it is also a way for the Thought Police to supervise their citizens and for Winston's luck, a method to catch him in a lie. Now today, people still debate whether having cameras in streets is a violation of privacy or not. An individual cannot go out without finding a camera in the corner or just in their nearby store. For instance, people claim that these cameras are for safety and to cut down on vandalism and theft. (Rapp). When really, having these cameras around are only there for supervision. Studies have shown that one out of twenty crimes were caught. Whether it is to see who violates any laws, or just to watch over the citizens, the cameras are always out there, making people feel watched.
