A Dynamic Balance: Data vs. Privacy

Privacy or data, choose one. Make the right choice or be an outcast from society. In The Circle, by Dave Eggers, data and privacy are mutually exclusive, and Mae experiences the evolution of technology at the expense of  privacy. The complexity of the relationship is further exemplified by contrasting permanence and connotations associated with different aspects of Mae's life.

Data rules the utopian Circle community as a direct result of TruYou. This system leads to increased accountability on the Internet all the while extinguishing anonymity. Later in the novel, Eamon Bailey presents a new technology called SeeChange that allows users to install public cameras globally. This innovation contributes to the downturn of nonpublic areas and privacy in general as exemplified by his shocking and eerie statement: " All that happens must be known. "

Data lasts forever and privacy just for a moment. A single picture stays on the Cloud for eternity, yet a three minute bathroom break only makes up a mere fraction of the day. A conversation with a classmate is tagged to Mae's name forever, but a private run-in with a stranger named Calden lasts for a mere 30 seconds. This contrasting permanence is a direct result of the growth of technology in The Circle society as examined by the paragraph above. The distinction in magnitude is conveyed throughout Mae's interaction with the seal while kayaking. After leaving her parents to go back to work, Mae kayaks on the choppy bay where she sees no one.  The placid water of the bay symbolizes privacy for her. It is a time to think within her own mind and relax on the "cold and clear" bay (pg.80). As she continues her trip, she suddenly sees a harbor seal. Mae looks into its "black button, unreflective (pg. 81)" eyes. Before she could take another breath, the seal ducks beneath the water. The seal represents persistent data and technology invading even the brief moments of alone time.The seal stays for a second, contrasting with the perpetual nature of data in Mae's actual life.

 Privacy and data are further differentiated within the division of her everyday life into her private home life and a technology driven work world. Being at home is the closest thing to privacy for Mae in the beginning of The Circle, and it is characterized negatively. Her dad is ill and her pesty boyfriend, Mercer, is always hanging around the house. The positives are limited for Mae's private life emphasizing the overall negative connotation of privacy within the novel. On the other hand, Mae's life of data at work is full great opportunities. Lavish parties and communal spirit characterize her technological side, pointing to the positive connotation of data.

Privacy and data have an inverse relationship in the Circle. Throughout the novel, as technology's influence grows, privacy shrinks. Furthermore, as portrayed by Mae's encounter with the harbor seal, privacy is fleeting and data is eternal. Lastly, privacy is directly related to her home life pointing to a negative connotation, while data is linked to her career pointing to a positive connotation. Overall, privacy and data are interconnected, yet complete opposites in The Circle.