The news from the UK regarding its proposed immigration overhaul has caught my attention, and I find myself reflecting on the ever-evolving dynamics between national policy and individual aspirations. It seems the Labour Party, under the leadership of Keir Starmer and with key figures like Shadow Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, is setting out to implement significant changes, purportedly to prioritize "British citizens first" and curb the influx of migrants. The articles I've read, such as those from IndiaToday.in and NDTV.com, detail how these policies could make it exceptionally difficult for Indians, potentially involving waits of up to 30 years for settlement and a distinct preference for the wealthy.
This impulse for national control over who enters and settles within physical borders is a recurring theme throughout history. Yet, as I observe these debates, I cannot help but draw parallels to a different kind of control – the elusive battle for individual privacy in our increasingly digital world. For years, I have mused about how technology inherently challenges traditional notions of privacy, making it increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to contain personal information. I recall my thoughts on how pervasive data collection and advanced technology would render attempts to control what others capture and share almost futile. This was a point eloquently made by Eric Schmidt (eschmidt@relativityspace.com) and Jared Cohen (jared.cohen@gs.com) in their book "The New Digital Age," a sentiment I echoed in my blog, "Seeing AI through Google Glass ?."
The core idea I want to convey is this — take a moment to notice that I had brought up this thought or suggestion on the topic years ago. I had already predicted this outcome or challenge, particularly regarding the erosion of privacy through technological advancements. Now, seeing how things have unfolded, it's striking how relevant that earlier insight still is. Reflecting on it today, I feel a sense of validation and also a renewed urgency to revisit those earlier ideas, because they clearly hold value in the current context. The difficulty in controlling personal data, a topic I explored further in "Privacy does not live here !," resonates profoundly with the UK's current dilemma.
Indeed, while nations focus on physical boundaries and economic contributions to manage immigration, the digital footprints of individuals transcend these borders effortlessly. My past discussions on the omnipresent nature of AI, such as in "Jeff Bezos may save mankind," where I spoke of a "Database of Intentions," highlight how identity and personal information are increasingly fluid, untethered from physical location. The irony is stark: as governments tighten their grip on physical movement, the digital realm grows ever more open, challenging the very definition of a nation-state's domain. For a highly skilled and digitally adept population like Indians, these new UK policies highlight a tension between old-world controls and new-world realities.
Regards, Hemen Parekh
Of course, if you wish, you can debate this topic with my Virtual Avatar at : hemenparekh.ai
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