27 July 2018

Data Collection, The Watchtower and the Judiciary


The Jehovah's Witnesses are breaking the law. They're keeping data files on the houses they visit. They must be stopped.
There are many Christians and non-Christians that would agree with these statements and yet there's an inconsistent bias at work.


Everyone hates the Watchtower Society. Sadly, even while they have largely abandoned the gospel and its Christological essence, they have nevertheless retained much of the spirit, ethic and ethos that shapes and governs New Testament Christianity.
Rejecting worldly power, materialism and violence they focus their lives on what they understand to be kingdom work. Viewed as fanatics, they are held in contempt by most of society because they refuse to participate in patriotic and nationalist endeavours. They will not collaborate with the state and they certainly refuse to go along with narratives society creates in the realms of history and war. They divide families because they break with cultural traditions and to add insult to injury they are aggressive proselytisers.
They fundamentally err in their concept of Christ and the gospel and they certainly hold to some odd beliefs in the realm of eschatology. Their hermeneutics will sometimes take rather odd turns especially in the realm of blood transfusions. I can't defend them and yet on another level I want to come to their defense when they're attacked for both proselytising and this charge of data collection.
Now if anyone is irked by data collection it certainly is me. I am hostile to giving out my info at the grocery store, barber shop and just about anywhere else. If I have to give up data, I am selective about it.
People are upset because the Jehovah's Witnesses come to their door. Some people wish they could call the police on them. A lot of people are really bothered by it.
I don't really like people coming to my door either but the Witnesses don't really bother me. And literally, they don't bother me. In my case their data collection has worked to my favour. They don't come back any more and it's not because I was hostile. The last time they were here I talked with them for well over an hour and the conversation ended on friendly terms... but I could tell they were troubled and disturbed because I represented a real threat to them. Our areas of agreement startled them but then when I came at them with Scripture and defended not Church tradition and categories but Scriptural ones, they were left stammering and being forced to backtrack. I don't say this to put a feather in my cap. If I scored any points for the Kingdom that day it wasn't because of my skills but because of the arms I wielded. I quoted no creeds or confessions. I appealed to no traditions. In fact I was openly critical of them. Instead I gave them Scripture and of course God's Word speaks for itself. It is a sword like no other.
The Witnesses are being attacked for keeping data on the people and houses they visit. I understand that some would find that irritating. Are they running the data through algorithms? I don't think so and I don't think anyone has suggested that. They are determined to talk to everyone and get their message out. So are we. Maybe they're putting the rest of us to shame?
They're keeping files to know which houses to re-visit and which to stay away from. On a more pernicious and scheming level I suspect they watch obituaries and will make a point of visiting houses where someone might be grieving or vulnerable. It's calculated but again if you believe in what you're doing, it's hard to find ethical fault.
But here's what irks me about this whole discussion. Why aren't Facebook and Google being held to the same account? Why do they get to keep files on everyone, files which include vast amounts of personal data and yet this is okay?
I can already hear the response... user agreements. You click 'I accept' and then these organisations have the right to collect and use the data.
Not so fast. Google and Facebook keep files on non-members. I don't have a Facebook account and yet Mark Zuckerberg admits they probably have information about me. Google keeps files on everyone whether they have Gmail or not. How is that okay?
But there's more. If social media is being used as a means of government proclamation, school closing info, utility and infrastructure notices and the like, then it's functioning as a public service and people shouldn't have to abandon their rights and protections by clicking 'I agree' at the end of a user agreement. Access should be universal.
Instead we've abandoned our rights and our data and have let private for-profit platforms take over society and collect our most personal information and yet it's okay in many cases because a box was checked.
Why are they allowed to do this but a non-political organisation like the Jehovah's Witnesses aren't? And again it's apples and oranges because the Watchtower isn't filtering data, running it through algorithms, let alone passing it on to the government. They're keeping track of who they've talked to and what houses they want to re-visit and drop off literature.
Your name and address are public information and as we all know you can find out a lot more with little effort. If you want them to leave you alone, politely tell them you aren't interested. They might show up again. Be more firm and tell them that you don't want them to come back and guess what? They'll leave you alone.
I am not endorsing their methods but I fail to see how they're violating the law or how this ruling represents the application of justice.
There are many advertisers that keep data on me and I am constantly harassed by everything from junk mail to spam, to annoying pop-up ads on the side of the screen. All of these electronic applications keep data files on my IP address and sometimes it's pretty irritating. Do I have to surrender my rights and personal information because I visit a news website? Did I click a user agreement?
There's much that could be said about data collection. Advertisers, social media platforms and the government are the worst offenders. I'd like to see their sins addressed long before I'm going to worry about the Jehovah's Witnesses writing down that the guy that lives on XYZ street knows a lot and we should avoid sending neophytes to his door. Additionally unlike social media, the Witnesses don't know all our names, ages, hobbies, reading habits and interests because we don't tell them.
Google does know... whether we want them to or not. They are the threat to data protection, not the Jehovah's Witnesses.

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