News. Big Data and computer science are like nuclear power 60 years ago. As in the 1950s, scientists need to look critically at their work and take part in the public debate. That is according to Philip Rogaway, an accomplished computer scientist specializing in cryptography. He sees the Internet evolving into a a massive surveillance mechanism. “With the transition to a state of total surveillance, what we have is a slow forfeiture of democracy,” Rogaway argues. So far, computer scientists and other scientific communities have failed to intervene or even speak out about the obvious dangers in surveillance technology. One of the main reasons, according to Philip Rogaway is tradition. Computer scientists are not used to engaging in public discourse, but this kind of science is today distinctly political, by its very nature.
