Ever since a certain event, I’ve found myself a lot more conscious of the possible dangers around me. I never even thought about the possibility of some things happening - to me, of all people - before. Coming face-to-face with one of them changed that, a lot. Perhaps my reaction is too extreme. I try to keep it at least just below that level, but the level is also one of my own making and can shift up a little when necessary.

It always felt like your rule would last forever, passed on for many generations to come. Like the stupid citizens were falling for your lies, that the Internet filters you set up were effective. That the books and independent newspapers you burned weren’t shared in secret. That the gaps left after journalists and critics you ordered to kill were going to remain empty. The good ending, in which I want to believe.

Once humanity puts their mind to something, we’re capable of anything. We’ve cured mortal diseases, flown high above the clouds and thrown our creations far into the depths of space - just because we can. In that sense, we’re vastly more powerful than a so-called god. But just like we’re capable of godly creations, we’re capable of biblical destruction the likes of which were never thought possible just a few centuries ago.

Whether I like it or not, the so-called metaverse is not going away. It’s likely to become much more popular as time goes on and technology advances further, blurring the line between the real world and a virtual one. The premise of a place where anything is possible and you’re under total control is, after all, enticing — like an effectively infinite lucid dream. Imagine the potential. An empty room with a few wires can suddenly become a massive workspace, adjusted to your liking in the blink of an eye and immediately accessible to others.

Right now, avoiding most online surveillance is still possible thanks to the nature of the decentralized online world - rather, what remains of it. Any location is just a few clicks and milliseconds away. However, the same can’t be said for real life surveillance. In this article, I’ll be exploring the different types of surveillance commonly used around my medium-sized, relatively peaceful town somewhere in central Europe - and possible ways of avoiding them, if there are any.