The Battle for Your Brain: An Outrageous Invasion on Our Last Frontier. Apple Plans to Track Your Thoughts
In a world where capitalism has already laid its heavy hand on our labor, our time, and our privacy, the notion that our minds are next in line for commodification is both terrifying and deeply unjust. Nita A. Farahany’s The Battle for Your Brain speaks to this reality: a growing threat from neurotechnology that seeks to harvest and monetize the last domain we still wholly possess—our thoughts.
In her book, Farahany outlines the rise of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), technologies that can monitor and influence brain activity. For those already crushed by the weight of rent increases, food inflation, and precarious employment, this reality brings the terrifying possibility that even our mental refuge is under siege. "In a world where even our dreams can be mined for data," Farahany writes, "the lines of privacy are more blurred than ever."
We are facing an existential crisis, not just as individuals, but as a society. From the commodification of nature, to the appropriation of human labor, capitalism has marched forward, erasing boundaries. As Marxist philosopher Herbert Marcuse observed, "The very concept of individuality is being systematically dismantled by capitalist forces. Personal autonomy has never been more under threat." If BCIs are allowed to proliferate unchecked, we will witness the final dissolution of the individual under capitalism’s totalizing force.
For those already struggling under the weight of capitalist exploitation, this neurotechnological future feels like a new layer of oppression. Millions of people, already feeling suffocated by their inability to catch a financial break, must now contend with the looming possibility that even their most private thoughts may no longer be their own. It is an outrageous violation—one that many may not have the resources or awareness to resist. This blog post is meant to help elucidate the issue, as well as provide resources for all of us to utilize. There are good people doing good work in this area who we can join. We do not have to do it all alone.
For the underpaid worker laboring for a company that seeks not only their time and energy but now their mental data as well, this feels like a final invasion. It is wrong—on every ethical level—that a person who already feels alienated by a world that thrives on their exploitation should now have to battle for the last thing they own: the sanctity of their mind.
Apple has filed patents indicating that future versions of their AirPods may include EEG (electroencephalography) sensors capable of tracking brain activity. These patents reveal plans to place electrodes within the AirPods that could measure various biosignals, including brain waves, muscle activity, and even eye movements. This innovation could allow AirPods to track users' mental states, potentially being used for applications such as focus monitoring, sleep tracking, or meditation.
While this development is still speculative—since not all patented technologies make it to market—it raises significant concerns about privacy and mental autonomy. Similar to the EEG headsets discussed in The Battle for Your Brain, this technology could potentially open the door for more invasive forms of data collection, especially if not carefully regulated. The fact that a product as ubiquitous as AirPods could be used to monitor brain activity brings these concerns even closer to home, making it critical that we demand strict regulations to protect our mental privacy.
It is crucial to stay informed and push for laws that ensure such innovations are not misused for commercial or state surveillance purposes.
As Noam Chomsky once stated, "The control of thought is more dangerous than the control of the body. Once thoughts can be commodified, the very fabric of free will is torn apart." This isn’t some dystopian far-off future—this is happening now. And it’s happening in boardrooms where profit is the only consideration, while people—their mental health, their sense of agency—are disregarded entirely.
The question now is; how do we fight back? We don’t all have the luxury of time or resources to wage legal battles or launch movements, but there are still ways we can resist the commodification of our minds.
Demand Regulation: Engage with local and national representatives to push for clear, stringent laws that prevent the unchecked use of BCIs. Neurotechnology must be heavily regulated to ensure it cannot be used for surveillance or exploitation. The pressure to establish 'mental privacy' laws is more urgent than ever.
Support Movements Fighting for Autonomy: Get involved with grassroots movements that resist the commodification of human life. Organizations that fight for labor rights, privacy, and digital freedom are often at the forefront of these battles. Whether it’s through donations, activism, or simply staying informed, your involvement matters.
Educate Yourself and Others: Knowledge is power. Understand how neurotechnology works and its potential risks. Talk to your friends, family, and community about the implications of allowing this technology to go unregulated. The more people know, the harder it becomes for companies to quietly strip away our rights.
Resist the Normalization of Mind-Monitoring: Just as we resisted the invasive reach of social media algorithms into our personal lives, we must resist the normalization of neuro-monitoring in the workplace, schools, or public life. Boycott companies that seek to introduce these technologies without full transparency and consent.
Conclusion: The Fight is Personal, But We are Not Alone
This new frontier of brain surveillance may feel like a battle we cannot win, but resistance has never been easy. "The arc of history is long," as Martin Luther King Jr. reminded us, "but it bends toward justice." When we band together to resist, the people are far more powerful than the profit-driven corporations who seek to control us. We are not just fighting for mental privacy. We are fighting for the right to be human. The right to think freely. The right to say, this far, and no further.
As we face the encroachment of neurotechnology into our most private realms, it’s crucial to equip ourselves with tangible ways to demand regulation and protect our mental autonomy. Below are several resources and organizations actively working to safeguard privacy rights and challenge invasive technologies:
Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
Website: www.eff.org
The EFF is a leading nonprofit organization defending civil liberties in the digital world. They focus on pushing for better laws to protect privacy rights and are an excellent resource for advocacy, legal guidance, and education on emerging technologies like neurotechnology.
Fight for the Future
Website: www.fightforthefuture.org
Fight for the Future is a digital rights group that campaigns against surveillance, censorship, and technologies that infringe on privacy. They regularly launch petitions and pressure campaigns that you can participate in to push for stronger privacy protections.
Privacy International
Website: www.privacyinternational.org
Privacy International advocates globally for strong data privacy regulations. They focus on holding governments and corporations accountable for privacy invasions, including those posed by emerging neurotechnologies. Get involved in their campaigns or stay informed through their research and policy papers.
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
Website: www.aclu.org
The ACLU has been at the forefront of fighting for civil rights in the U.S. Their Privacy & Technology division works to ensure that technology does not erode fundamental rights. The ACLU often offers ways to contact your representatives or join larger advocacy efforts concerning privacy and neurotechnology.
The Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT)
Website: www.cdt.org
The CDT is a nonprofit organization advocating for policies that protect the freedoms of expression and privacy. They work on shaping laws and regulations around technologies that affect personal autonomy, including those that may infringe upon mental privacy.
Change.org Petition to Protect Mental Privacy
Website: www.change.org
You can either start or sign a petition demanding legislative action to regulate neurotechnology and protect mental privacy. A growing number of online campaigns are pushing for specific protections against the commercial and governmental exploitation of brain-computer interfaces.
Contact Your Elected Officials
Find your U.S. Representatives: www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
Find your U.S. Senators: www.senate.gov/senators/senators-contact.htm
You can make a real difference by contacting your representatives and demanding they introduce or support legislation protecting mental privacy. Ask them to champion regulations that limit the use of brain-computer interfaces by corporations and governments, ensuring that mental data cannot be exploited for profit.
NeuroRights Initiative (Columbia University)
Website: nri.ntc.columbia.edu
The NeuroRights Initiative is dedicated to developing ethical frameworks for neurotechnologies. Their work focuses on ensuring cognitive liberty, the right to mental privacy, and protection from mental manipulation. You can engage with their resources, public talks, and advocacy for neuro-rights to help push regulatory bodies to act.
European Digital Rights (EDRi)
Website: www.edri.org
EDRi is a network of civil rights groups that advocates for digital rights across Europe, with a strong focus on data privacy. If you’re based in the EU, this organization provides an excellent way to stay informed about legislative efforts on neurotechnology and digital rights.
Public Citizen
Website: www.citizen.org
Public Citizen advocates for protecting the public from corporate greed and government overreach. They have several active campaigns related to technology and privacy, and you can join their fight by signing petitions, writing to policymakers, and spreading awareness.
https://brainco.tech/technology/ - this is the model that young Chinese students have been forced to don at school.
What About the Children? A New Era of Surveillance
It’s one thing to imagine neurotechnology being used in the context of adults and workplaces. But what happens when this invasive technology enters our schools and begins to shape the minds of children? As Farahany’s The Battle for Your Brain makes clear, children are not immune to this terrifying trend. In fact, they are at the forefront of it.
In 2019, the Wall Street Journal reported on an alarming development: fifth-grade students in Jinhua, China, were required to wear EEG headsets during class. These devices, manufactured by US-based BrainCo, fed real-time brain data to teachers, parents, and, crucially, the state. These headsets monitored the children’s levels of engagement, lighting up in different colors to indicate whether a child was paying attention. More than twenty thousand of these headsets had already been shipped to China at the time of the report.
The effects of this on the children were chilling. Teachers praised the headsets for improving student performance, claiming that brain monitoring made children more attentive in class. One student even admitted that his grades had improved as a result. But at what cost? The stress of constant surveillance is likely immeasurable. Children were being penalized by their parents for low attention scores, adding pressure and fear to an already stressful environment. While some children’s grades improved, others faced punishment, not for lack of trying, but for failing to meet arbitrary levels of engagement determined by an algorithm.
This kind of monitoring takes away a child’s right to make mistakes and learn at their own pace. As philosopher Erich Fromm once said, "The aim of capitalism is to transform man into a mechanical workhorse, a thing that can be predicted and controlled." It is deeply disturbing that we are seeing this transformation begin with children, who are still learning about the world and themselves. Instead of fostering curiosity and creativity, these headsets enforce conformity and obedience, reducing learning to a transactional activity where only measurable outcomes matter.
This raises larger ethical concerns about the future of education. What does it mean to grow up in a world where your brain is constantly being monitored, where your attention span is measured and evaluated in real-time? For many children, particularly those in marginalized communities, this will only exacerbate feelings of alienation and disempowerment. These children already face significant challenges, and now they must navigate an educational system that sees them as data points to be manipulated rather than young minds to be nurtured.
As adults, it is our duty to protect children from the harmful effects of a world that seeks to commodify their most personal experiences. This is no longer just a battle for the freedom of thought—it is a battle for the well-being of future generations. We must ask ourselves: Is this the kind of world we want to build for our children? One where even their minds are not their own?
