In the surveillance age, even your TV is listening. An eagle-eyed Samsung customer noticed recently that the firm’s privacy policy warns that customers controlling their smart TVs using a voice-activation feature should be careful what they say, as the device “listens” to conversations in the room, and may pass details on to third parties.

This is an age of rapidly reducing privacy. It appears that a lot of people couldn’t care less, but because (mainly young) people are indifferent to it doesn’t mean it is acceptable. It’s just that, as yet, it has not come back and bitten them – and it well might, in yet another outbreak of totalitarianism. As followers of Epicurus we should protest every incursion by big business and government into our private lives, because, if we don’t George Orwell and Big Brother are but a step away. It is no joke.