There’s still an ongoing investigation of last Friday’s terrorist attacks in Paris that killed over 120 people. Saturday, I talked about how technology helped people reunite with loved ones. But now, after reading a disturbing report, I’m left asking myself a question. Did technology help the terrorists?
Some online articles say terrorists use PlayStation 4 consoles to plan and coordinate the Paris attacks. They would have used the consoles to secretively communicate, away from law enforcement’s prying eyes. Belgian authorities found a PlayStation 4 as they arrested several suspects involved in the attacks. Legal and technological experts agree PlayStation is far more difficult to keep track of than communication through smartphones. One expert explains, “It?s still difficult for investigators to monitor IP-based voice systems compared to say, a simple cellphone…”. But it’s not just verbal communication that worries law enforcement agencies around the world. In a game called Super Mario Maker, someone can send a message through using the gold coins, and that message can thwart even the most experienced law enforcement officials and intelligence agents. In May 2015, an Austrian teenager was indicted on terrorism charges. Guess how he was caught? They found plans to make a bomb not on his smartphone or social media pages, but on his PlayStation.
Let’s make one thing clear. I’m not saying PlayStation is bad and is the root to all evil. Like all video games, it can be used for good. PlayStation can also be used to bring people together, enhance problem solving skills, and it’s games often enforce teamwork. So once again, it’s not the game or the console. It’s the human being behind the console. And I hope international law enforcement agencies don’t use this as an excuse to further spy on our technology products. But they probably will. Let’s not give up our civil liberties. Benjamin Franklin once said, “Those who give up liberty for a little safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” So how do we keep the balance between fighting terrorism and keeping liberty?