The Lenten season is upon us and it should be a good opportunity to do some inner reflection on our use of modern technological platforms. Firstly, it must be acknowledged that we live in a visual age; however, what I am noticing is that while depending on the flash and glitz of “sight”, we seem to lack the ability to properly use our skill of “insight”. This problem is particularly important for modern church communities, as we are now facing an extreme ethical challenge when we adopt certain technologies. Should you be a regular reader of our technological articles in the UCRMN newsletter, you must be aware that we advocate the use of “open source” software. This type of computer software is usually free to use in terms of cost, which is a great benefit to churches on a budget, but it is also free in the sense that the code of the software is free to examine. Thus, the code can be checked for malicious elements that can be used to track your use for the benefit of advertisers, large tech companies, as well as government and police agencies. In essence, open-source software is the last place where your privacy can be kept free from data predators.
I must mention that operating systems like Microsoft, Google, and Apple use numerous methods to “spy” on your internet history, emails, photos, and documents. Yes, this is true despite their claims to protect your privacy. Windows’ “Recall” feature on new Windows 11 computers takes a snapshot of your screen every few seconds. Its “keyloggers” know every keystroke you type, making end to end encryption of emails useless. Client-side scanning examines all your photos, especially if they are stored in the “cloud storage” of the maker of the operating system. Moreover, all of these concerns equally apply to most social media platforms like Facebook, etc. This concern also applies to all smartphones too, where location tracking is making your movements constantly known. Your car even tracks you if you have a recent model.
Now I don’t know if this might be disturbing to you, but it all sounds a bit “Orwellian” to me. The modern rule of thumb is, “if it is free, you are the product”. Note that you are a product and merely a consumer, not a person. Does this not sound like the opposite way that God views each individual? Well, if you think so, then you must move on further to ask why churches persist in using these platforms that put members at risk of facial recognition, data hackers, and an onslaught of advertisers. Well, it is because we have been fooled by “Big Tech”. Now, if our church actually stands for justice, why do we persist in ignoring the problem of our dependence on programs like Microsoft Office, Zoom, etc. when “open source” alternatives are available at no cost like LibreOffice and JitsiMeet?
I once went to a concert of a large symphony orchestra, and the conductor was actually brave enough to say it, namely, “that people know what they like and like what they know”. Yes, they loved to go to hear Beethoven’s 5th, but are reluctant to attend a concert of a lesser-known composer. Now apply that thought to our continued use of this popular software. Why use Facebook? Well, because everyone uses it, and we are familiar with it. But let us be honest during this period of Lent. Look inside yourself and you might see that it is because it is easy and convenient. This is the tactic of “Big Tech”. Introduce a feature that is easy, convenient, or a shortcut, and humans will use it, even if it is not in their best interest. However, it is in “Big Tech’s” best interest. A.I. is a perfect example. They don’t bother to tell you that to get an answer to a question through A.I. takes up to 10 times the energy of a regular search engine. Are we not supposed to be concerned about the impact of energy use on our environment? So, have you used it for that school project or Sunday sermon yet? Now, I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I am certain that the strongest language that Jesus uses to criticize the Pharisees is found in the word, “hypocrite”.
So, in conclusion, this is perhaps my last article that I will produce for the newsletter. As a Linux user since 2011, I have only faced frustration with the inertia of individuals and churches. Moreover, it appears to me that we have used digital technology to become lazy and manipulated. In the past, in the analog world, a person actually dropped off a cassette tape of Sunday’s service to a member who was a shut-in. Newsletters were delivered by hand to keep people informed. There were “phone tree” networks for emergency notifications. Each of these low-tech alternatives meant that you could meet people “face to face”, or at least actually talk with them. When was the last time you actually sent a person a handwritten letter or thank you card or had a good long phone call with someone? I am afraid that an e-card doesn’t really cut it when it comes to sincerity, and a text message is a “blunt instrument”. Let us then re-examine ourselves and recognize that tech has changed us as Christians, and in may ways it is not for the better. Although “open source” is not perfect, it is at least open and not hidden behind a paywall or subscription. And people are not the product.
Rev. Martin Dawson retired and living in Cornwall PEI