The Creepy Line

source: The Creepy Line

The Creepy Line opens with a quote by Arthur C. Clarke, "Before you become too entranced with gorgeous gadgets and mesmerizing video displays, let me remind you that information is not knowledge, knowledge is not wisdom, and wisdom is not foresight. Each grows out of the other, and we need them all." The quote serves as a harbinger of the potential for the likes of Google and Facebook to control your decisions, which is the thesis of this film. However, it should also be read as a warning that the makers of this "documentary" are trying to control your decisions, particularly on politics. To that end, The Creepy Line is laced with messages and examples suggesting that all the perpetrators are liberals, and all the victims conservatives. Their attempts to surreptitiously control your thoughts on politics, under the cover of a "documentary", should really give you the creeps.

It may also inform you quite a bit. Some reviewers want to dismiss some of the info as "right wing conspiracy theory". I disagree. More importantly, even if you do not believe that the tools have been used exactly as claimed, there is nothing that they claim is happening that CANNOT be done, and, as they point out, we have absolutely no method whatsoever, as users, to have any clue whether any of it is being done or not, and THAT is the problem. You can dismiss the few points where you decide that they are "too conservative", and take the underlying possibilities as the real point. And I suspect that they have barely scratched the surface.

I was actually hoping that I might pick up on a couple of updated tech tips to avoid tracking but found a program focused on scaring viewers into thinking big tech is trying to turn the US into a totalitarian state. That is literally the focus closing argument. Each of the data collection issues they raised is easily avoided. A more organized edit with quick tips after each segment to show viewers how to delete their search history, phone tracking, browse and search anonymously, cultivate or delete their social media feeds etc... would have been much more interesting. Somehow they completely overlooked pixel tracking which is arguably more invasive than many of their other privacy concerns. Again could have been followed a segment that pixel tracking can be circumvented with a little effort. A lot of bad or misleading information in this. Not sure you can call it a documentary when one of the interviewees repeatedly states that facts are irrelevant. As what must be the result of poor editing, one of the primary interviewees appears to claim that he was censored for an act that was performed after the alleged censorship. To accomplish this seemingly impossible task google must have been using their precogs. This same person later admits to have actively engaged in small scale voter manipulation of an election in India in a misguided attempt to warn of the dangers of voter manipulation. Later as what I can only hope is another result of poor editing this person claims to have been taken offline completely based on not being able to access google.com. This is clearly not the case unless 100% of your online presence is hosted by google. Anyone that is not capable of circumventing this restriction and restoring full access to google services with a new account in less than 5 minutes should not be put forward as a technical expert. While complaining about bias a politician is allowed to claim something as scientific fact that is absolutely not a scientific fact with no opportunity for rebuttal or correction by an actual scientist. If only this interviewee realized he was meant to laugh at Archie Bunker not with him. A couple of obvious key points are overlooked. Progressives are by definition trying to make progress, improve things, build the future etc. By the same definition conservatives should want slowed or controlled progress but contemporary stances have actually stated a desire to revert to a previous "again" time. The result of those positions is that there will never be equal representation of those views at tech companies trying to build the future. Difficult to compete as a conservative tech company using punch cards and vacuum tubes. The previous point has and will continue to naturally reinforce itself with a couple of rare exceptions for all of human existence. The second major point this program overlooks in its tech bias argument is that facts matter. If a search engine repeatedly serves its visitors with false, misleading or irrelevant results those visitors will learn not to rely on its service. Internet search is not the only source of information. Search results need to align with information that we receive from other sources. Yelp would go out of business pretty quickly if 100% of their results were 5 stars reviews of McDonalds. Looking at his previous works, I imagine Schweitzer will keep pumping out his bias "anti-bias" propaganda. I challenge their production team to do so without the use of technologies invented by progressives. Good luck working with no computers or cameras. Not sure how you would distribute your project as clearly walking, crawling even slithering on the ground were all evolutionary efforts at making progress. I'd say have fun painting on the walls of your cave but even those people were likely thinking of a brighter future!

As with other Schweitzer works, there is some bias via exaggeration. However, you do yourself a great disservice to ignore the underling threat that is well-substantiated by this film. Schweitzer doesn't include the leaked Google staff meeting videos, which are pretty creepy in their own right.

I've always known that Google spys on its consumers but this movie really put it into perspective. Basically they are spying on anything and every thing you do online. They automatically scan your google email and read everything you send and receive. They change your google search results to show you what "they" think is important for you to see and burries other search results to better push their agenda. Google is criminal! People wake up!!! Enjoy :)

I am not sure why so many seem to think this is so biased. The whole point of the documentary is to demonstrate how Google and Facebook are able to manipulate SOME people's opinion through their algorithms. It also shows how they sell information to various buyers through data collection. I am not sure how this falls into the 'conspiracy theory' but apparently it's too much for some viewers. Many of the supporting evidence has been corroborated by other news outlets. To believe that companies do not have agendas and are trying to be as profitable as possible is naive.

The idea of this documentary is to present you with information on how powerful the executives are that run the internet. You didn't know someone actually runs the internet? Or do they? The last half hour is the best. The first hour is mostly educational. If you want to learn how you are being manipulated by internet searches and results, watch this movie. I am not sure why anyone would say it is biased. Is it because this movie presents you with information that you see that could sway people to your way of thinking? I think not. It presents you with what is actually happening when you use the internet. Don't believe me? Watch it and find out.

The concentration of power in Facebook and Google is dangerous. Both are controlled by Leftists who have abused their power.

It's a little "they're coming to get you, Barbara" and they're not wrong but it is a "creepy" enough reality to not need the menacing music used. The filmmaker hammers on how problematic Google's search biases are (just one facet) but I never once heard them mention that companies pay Google Ads to get their ads on top (and yes, they are labeled ads) of the search results page. The film seemed to imply that the results were based on internal biases at Google and/or flawed algorithms only. People are usually clicking on whatever website paid top dollar to be listed first so that the user buys their product or service. The movie makes good points as far as need for regulations as these companies are in the telecommunications business but circumvent those regulations. It's scary how integral Google has become to our lives and how it's pretty much impossible to completely get away and still navigate our 21st century societies. It will be interesting to see where it goes.