When Thoughts Aren’t Private

by atiqulhoque | 17 Sep 2025

I just watched the first episode (“Joan Is Awful”) of the seventh season of Black Mirror on Netflix. It was incredibly dark. The story follows how a poor, everyday family falls victim to corporate greed. The premise was chillingly simple: you pay more money for the same service, but the consequences are devastating. The episode ends in a tragic murder-suicide—a deeply unsettling and heartbreaking conclusion.

I’ve always been wary of neural net technology. If machines can read your thoughts, it could lead to persecution simply for having violent thoughts during moments of rage—or worse, your mind could become a target for intrusive, personalized ads. This episode reinforced my fears. Still, I want to hold on to the hope that humanity won’t sink to such a dystopian level.

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