Is The Circle closing on us all?

I have just finished reading a fantastic and yet unnervingly terrifying book that everyone on LinkedIn should read; The Circle by Dave Eggars.

It’s a chilling and very realistic tale of a “fictitious” brand called The Circle, which is effectively Google/LinkedIn/Facebook/Twitter combined. Many of the things written as a story about a young girl who is employed by The Circle as a customer assistant and quickly becomes an ambassador and senior executive with devastating consequences, are so true as to be virtually a documentary of what is and might happen through sharing too much data on social media.

The issues raised are very thought provoking and also very realistic. You can also see how not only are some of them already happening but that many are coming whether we like it or not. Let me cover a few and yes there are some spoilers in here but not too much for you not to want to read the book yourself.

Average customer score 98/100

Mae, whose story is told through the book, starts off getting a job at The Circle as someone who works in Customer Experience. She quickly learns the ropes and gets an average feedback of 98/100 which gives you an idea of the tone of the book. Bow to their whim and thrive and survive. Everything is measure. Big data become performance data.

Circlers (like Googlers)

Are encouraged to live on campus and never leave. There are whole towns and cities within the complex, something you can see in Google and Apple’s new office complexes.

Scores and data

Very quickly you are brought into the data and gamification world of social media brands. There are measurements for everything Mae does. There is a Social Engagement Index and CircleSocial is where employees are meant to “enjoy” time doing a variety of activities on site which leads to you having a ParticipationRank (Popularity Rank). Mae is called up for having not been “social”, independence is frowned upon at The Circle. She soon realises if she wants to survive and thrive and get into the good books of The Three Wise Men (the three founders) she has to engage, participate and let everyone know that she is doing so.

When Mae tries to be independent and not engage she is harangued and scolded by the Circle Social owners for not sharing her hobbies, passions and thoughts. That is not allowed at The Circle. Independence, being alone, not sharing has no place here in this world of sharing.

Mae quickly starts playing the game and gets her ranking from being the lowest of the 10,000 employees to approaching the highest by working 24/7 on just doing that, little else. It is not socialising for choice it is socialising to be seen to be socialising. Ironic working in social media.

InnerCircle and OuterCircle

When Mae is called up about her activities she has it explained that she will be using many screens all at the same time to monitor all the activities and events and groups and discussions that she needs to be participating in. In her first week she already has 8,276 messages from employees waiting for an answer.

However there is a Message Hierarchy. Her first screen is for her Customer Experience queries. Her 2nd for her multitude of over fussy and very much micromanaging managers. Her third the Inner and Outer Circles of Circles and social friends/family etc respectively.

Compulsive Zinging (Liking)

Mae is told she must do at least 10 zings (likes) per day minimum. In reality to keep your Popularity Rating up you must do many dozens more. Everything is shared and expected to be shared, nothing is private any more. Even her playlist she listens to is shared amongst the Circlers for them to comment on and add to theirs.

Healthcare - too good to be true

When her parents can’t get healthcare cover The Circle offer to ensure that her ill father has all the help and cover he needs. More sinister are the the monthly health checks done internally by the Circle - everything is done at the Circle. These checks say they look to prevent illness of employees but of course they can also check and monitor everything from drug use to potential debilitating illness and pregnancy and could be used for more sinister means and ends.

SeaChange - “All that happens must be known”

It started with one camera specially created and posted on a beach to check surfing tides and goes onto (creepily) cameras hidden in bedrooms watching sick mums and girlfriends wishing to be alone. All is broadcast on the Circle. Pretty soon there are millions of SeaChange cameras everywhere, nothing is secret and everything is revealed and recorded.

Humiliation turns into branding and corporate messaging

When Mae does want to get away from it all to go Kayaking she gets into trouble and hauled in front of the head “Wise Man” to reveal why she lied and how she thoughts she could in a world of SeaChange cameras. This leads to a performance in front of not only all Circlers but the whole world. During this one on one with the  head “WiseMan” she has a mea culpa moment of truth and reveals what would become three definitive brand and lifestyle statements of The Circle.

“Secrets are lies”

You can never have a secret again. You can never be allowed to be by yourself and do what you want. You must share everything, everything, there can be no secrets. This reduces people going into the dark side if they know that they are being forever watched and recorded for the world to see 24/7. You always behave when you are being watched goes the theory.

“Sharing is caring”

Sharing is not an act of selfishness or marketing or one-up-manship but it’s seen as caring because you are sharing with like minded people passions that they may be interested in or problems you have may be other people's problems and all of you can solve each others. When you are alone you are not anymore, you can always reach out to the billions of people who have Circle accounts.

“Privacy is theft”

Privacy is dead and theft because if you are not sharing your life and your thoughts you are keeping things from other people and not allowing them into your world or to help you. You are stealing moments from them. They are not your moments. They are all Circlers moments.

Transparency

This leads to Mae becoming a “Transparency” ambassador. This entails carrying a SeaChange camera around her neck 24/7. Recording every moment of her day and night, sharing every moment of your life, heartache and success, work and play. The only exception is where she goes into the toilet and can leave the camera outside and turn off the sound but only for 3 minutes. This is where things can happen of course….

From this comes the more sinister pressure on all politicians, business people, people in power and authority to also go “Transparent”. Every meeting every moment is recorded. No more off the record chats or corruption. It starts off with a few politicians and ends with all politicians enabling “Transparency”. If you don’t go “transparent” what are you hiding goes the mantra.

Demoxie

This leads to Demoxie. Facebook, sorry, Circle want everyone to vote through their Circle account on everything. This could not only reduce election fraud (after every account is verified) but could save billions of dollars in election expenses. Everyone and every law can be voted on immediately through your Circle account. Instant democracy.

Of course Mob rule comes from this, Imagine every decision, every thought amplified and actioned through social media. You get the Trump effect. Instinct and prejudice over rationality and reason. That’s the future of the Circle and social media.  

97% approval - oh the haters

When Mae is put up to be voted on for being awesome she only gets 97% of Circlers saying that she is. She doesn’t care about those she cares about the 3% of Circlers who don’t think she is awesome. Panic, paranoia sets in. Being liked, appreciated, zinged is the most important measurement for her along with her Popularity Rating.

Crime prevention….?

SeaChange and Transparency then enabled Circle’s founders to focus on the prevention of crime. With digital houses and heat sensors combined with millions of cameras everywhere any potential gunman, angry person (yes they can monitor that too), thief can be seen and stopped before committing a crime. Anyone you don’t know in your neighbourhood can be spotted and checked. It’s Neighbourhood watch taken to the nth degree. Again there are many abuses of power that this can also lead to.

PastPerfect

This started as being a look at who your ancestors are. It of course uncovers more sinister things than you ever wanted to know or be told. It results in the test subject’s ancestors not actually being the founders of America but having Irish slaves and then Black slaves when they came to America. Then she finds out even more disturbing things about her parents. Everything is recorded and everything is recoverable and everything reportable, globally and because there are no secrets everyone can see what this person’s past and DNA really is. Imagine that, all your family secrets exposed for world judgement.

SoulSearch

This starts off by using the power of the billion+ people with Circle accounts to be used to find missing on-the-run criminals and of course ends with a disaster. If you can find someone on the run you can find anyone. Even people who do not wish to be found. That's the point. Not everyone wants to be a social media star or be found on social media. Or found at all. Circle does not compute such people. You become an alien if you do not wish to be seen or be shared.

TruYouth

This idea is that every kid is chipped to protect them, you know where every child is any stage of their lives. This actually enables every parents to know where they are through Circle. The chip does not get removed at 18. This means the data keeps on coming. The Circle can track every single person, everywhere. When they are past 18 the membership of the Circle is mandatory to vote and to engage. This is where the most sinister parts of The Circle come to the fore.  

Completing the Circle

The irony of the Circle is that the founder realises what he he has unleashed and tries to change it. Too late. The genie is out of the bottle.

Mae becomes the face of the Circle, of the power behind the Circle, of the sinister underlying nature of its ambitions. She is the female friendly face of the tyrannical Circle owners and organisation.

Completing the Circle is ensuring that every action from cradle to grave is tracked through the Circle. For Circle read Facebook.

The founder of The Circle believes that every answer is available through everyone. This he believes leads to zero crime. But it also leads to zero privacy. Those who want to escape the attention are hunted down or ostracised. Or both.

If someone like Google or facebook buys up all competitors then they become all powerful. The power is devolved to them, But would you trust them to use that data wisely? Would you trust them to track you from cradle to grave. Is this already happening through sharing every moment? There may be no chip inserted in people but it’s only a matter of time before chips replace identity cards or passports to do just that.

Of course this power can be used more sinisterly. Someone opposes you. You have the data to ruin them, disgrace them, discredit them. Opponents are crushed. With great power comes great responsibility. Ultimate power corrupts ultimately.