Pluralistic: Scrutinized (05 Oct 2026)

Cory Doctorow warns that AI-enabled “pervert glasses” combined with facial recognition will usher in a society of pervasive “scrutiny”—a constant sense of judgment worse than mere surveillance—that forces individuals to suppress their “authentic selves” to avoid public shaming and doxing.
He highlights the hypocrisy of tech billionaires like Larry Ellison, Mark Zuckerberg, Eric Schmidt, and Peter Thiel, who fiercely protect their own privacy while advocating for ubiquitous surveillance for others, viewing the “authentic selves” of non-billionaires as problems to be solved.
Doctorow argues that this constant scrutiny, reminiscent of Bentham’s “panopticon,” will prevent individuals from having the “zone of imaginative and exertive autonomy” needed to be vulnerable, make mistakes, and grow, ultimately leading to “inauthentic, stunted selves.”
The widespread adoption of these technologies will democratize the worst aspects of celebrity culture, turning everyday errors into viral shaming opportunities and fundamentally eroding personal growth, happiness, and the joy of self-discovery.