--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Orwellian vision was about…" description: "\"The Orwellian vision was about state-sponsored surveillance. Now it's not just the state, it's your nosy neighbor, your ex-spouse and people who want t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9e/howard-rheingold-2794_about_the-orwellian-vision-was-about-state-spo_2953160.png" --- # The Orwellian vision was about state-sponsored… ![“The Orwellian vision was about state-sponsored surveillance. Now it's not just the state, it's your nosy neighbor, your ex-spouse and people who want to spam you.” quote by Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9e/howard-rheingold-2794_about_the-orwellian-vision-was-about-state-spo_2953160.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9e/howard-rheingold-2794_about_the-orwellian-vision-was-about-state-spo_2953160.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f9e/howard-rheingold-2794_about_the-orwellian-vision-was-about-state-spo_2953160.png) > “The Orwellian vision was about state-sponsored surveillance. Now it's not just the state, it's your nosy neighbor, your ex-spouse and people who want to spam you.” [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. State surveillance has expanded to include private individuals like neighbors and ex‑partners, increasing personal privacy risks. **In simple terms:** Surveillance now includes private individuals, not just the state. Key Takeaway Guard personal data against intrusive observers. Themes privacy technology surveillance Mood cautious concerned Type social digital When to use this quote - online interactions - community spaces Key Concepts digital footprints social media personal security Questions to Reflect On - What steps can you take to protect your privacy from non‑state actors? - Is total privacy realistic today? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Dreams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dreams/) [Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just/) [Neighbor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neighbor/) [Now](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/now/) [Orwellian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orwellian/) [Orwellian Vision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orwellian-vision-4461090/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Spam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spam/) [Sponsored Surveillance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sponsored-surveillance-4461091/) [State](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/state/) [Surveillance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surveillance/) [Surveillance Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surveillance-just-3780710/) [Vision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vision/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) [You](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/you/) [Your](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your/) ## Related quotes > [“Government surveillance, with its invasive reach into the private lives of citizens, is an egregious violation of the principles that underpin a free and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-william-steven-parker/government-surveillance-with-its-invasive-reach-into-the-private/) [James William Steven Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-william-steven-parker/) > [Choosing providers is not a choice between surveillance/not; it's just choosing which feudal lord gets to spy on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/choosing-providers-is-not-a-choice-between-surveillance-not-it-s-just/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) > [“However, this court is constrained by law, and under the law, I can only conclude that the Government has not violated FOIA by refusing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-mcmahon/however-this-court-is-constrained-by-law-and-under-the-law-i-can-only/) [Colleen McMahon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-mcmahon/) > [CCTV is seen either as a symbol of Orwellian dystopia or a technology that will lead to crime-free streets and civil behaviour. While arguments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brooke/cctv-is-seen-either-as-a-symbol-of-orwellian-dystopia-or-a-technology/) [Heather Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brooke/) > [Taking privacy cues from the federal government is - to say the least - ironic, considering today's Orwellian level of surveillance. At virtually any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-barr/taking-privacy-cues-from-the-federal-government-is-to-say-the-least/) [Bob Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-barr/) > [Make your own fun. As opposed to consume fun like a package of Spam.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/make-your-own-fun-as-opposed-to-consume-fun-like-a-package-of-spam/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [We already know that spam is a huge downside of online life. If we're going to be spammed on our telephones wherever we go,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/we-already-know-that-spam-is-a-huge-downside-of-online-life-if-we-re/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [You can't assume any place you go is private because the means of surveillance are becoming so affordable and so invisible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/you-can-t-assume-any-place-you-go-is-private-because-the-means-of/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [Openness and participation are antidotes to surveillance and control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/openness-and-participation-are-antidotes-to-surveillance-and-control/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [I think Dianne Feinstein may be the most Orwellian political official in Washington. It is hard to imagine having a government more secretive than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/i-think-dianne-feinstein-may-be-the-most-orwellian-political-official/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [The Venus Project is neither Utopian nor Orwellian, nor does it reflect the dreams of impractical idealists. Instead, it presents attainable goals requiring only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacque-fresco/the-venus-project-is-neither-utopian-nor-orwellian-nor-does-it/) [Jacque Fresco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacque-fresco/) > [The last thing reporters and editors want to be told is what to do and how to write. They don't want to be some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-vargas/the-last-thing-reporters-and-editors-want-to-be-told-is-what-to-do/) [Jose Antonio Vargas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-antonio-vargas/) > [There's a grosser irony about Politically Correct English. This is that PCE purports to be the dialect of progressive reform but is in fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/there-s-a-grosser-irony-about-politically-correct-english-this-is/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [Her Majesty's government is engaging not merely in Orwellian Newspeak but in self-defeating Orwellian Newspeak. The broader message it sends is that ours is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/her-majesty-s-government-is-engaging-not-merely-in-orwellian-newspeak/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [“It is the right of a free individual to be unhindered in their liberty! Especially to fail in their endeavors! Only in this manner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-parfitt/it-is-the-right-of-a-free-individual-to-be-unhindered-in-their/) [Keith Parfitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-parfitt/) ## More by Howard Rheingold > [Attention is a limited resource, so pay attention to where you pay attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/attention-is-a-limited-resource-so-pay-attention-to-where-you-pay/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [What person doesn't search online about their disease after they are diagnosed?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/what-person-doesn-t-search-online-about-their-disease-after-they-are/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [You can't pick up the telephone and say, 'Connect me with someone else who has a kid with leukemia.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/you-can-t-pick-up-the-telephone-and-say-connect-me-with-someone-else/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [We like technology because we don't have to talk to anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/we-like-technology-because-we-don-t-have-to-talk-to-anybody/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [Attention is the fundamental instrument we use for learning, thinking, communicating, deciding, yet neither parents nor schools spend any time helping young people learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/attention-is-the-fundamental-instrument-we-use-for-learning-thinking/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [One thing we didn't know in 1996 is that it's very, very difficult, if not impossible, to sustain a culture with online advertising.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/one-thing-we-didn-t-know-in-1996-is-that-it-s-very-very-difficult-if/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [Any virtual community that works, works because people put in some time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/any-virtual-community-that-works-works-because-people-put-in-some-time/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [There actually are buildings that existed in cyberspace before they built it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/there-actually-are-buildings-that-existed-in-cyberspace-before-they/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [The world is restructuring, and all of the enemies that used to exist are kind of gone, so now they are looking out for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/the-world-is-restructuring-and-all-of-the-enemies-that-used-to-exist/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [Kerouac was this kid who exemplified something happening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/kerouac-was-this-kid-who-exemplified-something-happening/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [Of course, with agriculture came the first big civilizations, the first cities built of mud and brick, the first empires. 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