Analysis of Talk - Jean-Philippe Rennard, journey to the heart of the Darknet
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of TEDxParis, Jean-Philippe Rennard offers us a dive into the unknown on the stage of the Grand Rex.
What if we told you that the Internet knows you better than your loved ones? Jean-Philippe Rennard, PhD in economics, takes us on a journey into the Web, data and cybersecurity. Should we really fear the Darknet?
We need curtains on our windows
Mass surveillance, censorship... These are subjects that seem far removed from our democratic countries. And yet, from the very first minutes of his talk, Jean-Philippe Rennard makes us understand that this is actually of the utmost concern to us. It all starts with social networks, those that each of us uses: "it only takes 250 likes for Facebook to be more reliable than our relatives in assessing our personality". To reach the audience, the speaker uses everyday examples that each of us experiences.
And thanks to their increasingly disturbing succession, we are becoming aware that it is the very notion of intimacy that is at stake. More than ever, we need "curtains on our windows": privacy is a fundamental human need.
The case of dictatorships
"States now have more capacity than ever to spy on all our populations. "While the consequences in democratic countries may be worrying, it is nothing compared to dictatorships. This is a new argumentative step in the talk.
To highlight what is already happening in some countries, Jean-Philippe Rennard uses a single, well-chosen example: China. China has introduced social credit, an online rating system to evaluate citizens. By addressing the public directly as if they were concerned by these measures, Jean-Philippe Rennard appeals not only to our reason, but also to our empathy to convey his message.
Darknet or Freenet?
The great strength of this talk is that it redefines what we think we know and believe to be true. In one sentence, the speaker describes the darknet as "a tool for freedom" . This pithy, shocking formula is particularly effective for two reasons. Firstly, as the first part of the talk has convinced us of the need to protect our freedoms, by the time this definition comes up, we are ready to question our prejudices. Secondly, Jean-Philippe Rennard multiplies the concrete examples of the use of the darknet for the preservation of liberties all over the world. By anchoring his talk in reality, he finishes convincing us.
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