Big Brother
Big Brother is watching you... in Mae's case this is actually true. The television series that we all secretly love to watch is a good example of what Mae's life, and the lives of those who are now transparent, looks like. Cameras everywhere, available for watching by all and sundry, random strangers who are now able to gawk at everything from Mae brushing her teeth to her beloved brainfog-clearing kayak rides. However, it is not just voyeuristic Joe Public watching; SeaChange can be used, and abused, by the government and is a modern-day incarnation of the Big Brother that George Orwell created in his terrifying novel 1984. It is an example of what happens when a company creates a system that has the potential to do good things, such as catching felons on the run and protecting the public, but has no way of placing limitations on it to protect the privacy of decent, law abiding private citizens.
Privacy
The film challenges us to answer the question of whether or not we are entitled to privacy, and it also demonstrates that the answer to this should be an unequivocal yes. Mae is so excited to demonstrate her new proficiency at the SeaChange app that she hounds Mercer, who is in a self-imposed exile, to his death. Mercer has a right to privacy; SeaChange takes that right away, The reaction of Mae's family and friends to her transparency also shows that privacy is necessary and a right of private citizens who feel invaded, and whose lives are detrimentally altered in some way when shared by strangers.
The Dangers of Unpoliced Technology
Tech companies create new tools all the time that allow them to track us. How often does sponsored content pop up on your phone when you have looked at it on your laptop? That wizardry is thanks in large part to the tech companies that want to find out as much as they can about us and share it with their advertisers. However, the film shows the dangers of this when it goes unpoliced or unsanctioned. Even Ty Lafitte, who created a social media platform, feels that the platform has grown into something that he did not intend at the beginning. This is because the area is not policed enough, and is able to develop a program that was positive and created with good in mind into something else entirely.
