The future is here: Mind control and torture in the digital era

Authors

  • Pau Pérez-Sales

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7146/torture.v32i1-2.132846

Keywords:

torture, non-lethal weapons, neuro-warfare, nanotechnologies, mind control, surveillance methods, neuro-ethics, cognitive liberty

Abstract

Torture, understood as a relationship of domination in which one person breaks the will and impedes the self-determination of another human being, taking control of all aspects of the victims’ life and trying to change the core elements of their identity to the perpetrator’s interests (Pérez-Sales, 2017), will increasingly come to be linked to new technologies, artificial intelligence, the use of media and internet, and to new forms of lethal and non-lethal
weapons. The author reviews the implications of modern technology for the contemporary fight against torture and some of the emerging civil society initiatives that aim to face them.

References

Altmann, J. (2004). Military uses of

nanotechnology: Perspectives and concerns.

Security Dialogue, 35(1), 61–79. https://doi.

org/10.1177/0967010604042536

Balmer, A. (2018). Lie Detection and the Law.

In Lie Detection and the Law. https://doi.

org/10.4324/9781315720258

Bates, M. (2021). A Step Closer to Mind Control for

Everyday Life. IEEE Pulse, 12(1), 16–18. https://

doi.org/10.1109/MPULS.2021.3052589

Benedikter, R., Siepmann, K., & Barbara, S. (2016).

“Head-transplanting” and “mind-uploading”.

Philosophical implictions of potential social

consequences of two medico-scientific utopias.

Rview of Contemporary Philosophy, 16, 38–82.

Boire, R. (2000). On Cognitive Liberty. Journal of

Cognitive Liberties, 1(1), 1–26.

Carle, S. D. (2021). The insights, uses, and ethics of

social neuroscience in anti-discrimination law.

In Regulating Neuroscience: Translational Legal

Challenges (1st ed., Vol. 4). Elsevier Inc. https://

doi.org/10.1016/bs.dnb.2021.02.001

Costa e Silva, J. A., & Steffen, R. E. (2017). The

future of psychiatry: brain devices. Metabolism:

Clinical and Experimental, 69, S8–S12. https://doi.

org/10.1016/j.metabol.2017.01.010

Crowley, M. (2016). Chemical Control. Regulation

of incapacitating chemical agent weapons, riot

control agents and their means of delivery. Palgrave

McMill.

Dabbour, A. H., Tan, S., Kim, S. H., Guild, S.

J., Heppner, P., McCormick, D., Wright, B.

E., Leung, D., Gallichan, R., Budgett, D., &

Malpas, S. C. (2021). The Safety of Micro-

Implants for the Brain. Frontiers in Neuroscience,

(December), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.3389/

fnins.2021.796203

Dando, M. (2015). Neuroscience and the Future of

Chemical-Biological Weapons. Palgrave Macmillan.

https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137381828

Davis, K., & Patterson, D. (2012). Ethics of big data.

Balancing risk and innovation. O’Reilly.

Davison, N. (2009a). Accoustic weapons. In Non_

lethal weapons. Palgrave McMillan.

Davison, N. (2009b). Directed Energy Weapons. In

Non-lethal weapons. Palgrave McMillan.

Dermengiu, D., Hostiuc, S., & Curcǎ, G. C.

(2008). Electroshock weapons: Physiologic and

pathologic effects - Literature review. Romanian

Journal of Legal Medicine, 16(3), 187–193. https://

doi.org/10.4323/rjlm.2008.187

Goering, S., Klein, E., Specker Sullivan, L., Wexler,

A., Agüera y Arcas, B., Bi, G., Carmena,

J. M., Fins, J. J., Friesen, P., Gallant, J.,

Huggins, J. E., Kellmeyer, P., Marblestone, A.,

Mitchell, C., Parens, E., Pham, M., Rubel, A.,

Sadato, N., Teicher, M., … Yuste, R. (2021).

Recommendations for Responsible Development

and Application of Neurotechnologies.

Neuroethics, 14(3), 365–386. https://doi.

org/10.1007/s12152-021-09468-6

Guthrie, A. (2017). The rise of big data policing.

Surveillance, race and the future of law enforcement.

New York University Press.

Herrera-Ferrá, K. (2021). Bioculture and the global

regulatory gap in neuroscience, neurotechnology,

and neuroethics. In Regulating Neuroscience:

Translational Legal Challenges (1st ed., Vol.

. Elsevier Inc. https://doi.org/10.1016/

bs.dnb.2021.08.001

Hofkirchner, W., & Kreowski, H.-J. (2021).

Transhumanism : the proper guide to a posthuman

condition or a dangerous idea? Springer.

Hsu, N. S., Fang, H. Y., David, K. K., Gnadt, J. W.,

Peng, G. C., Talley, E. M., Ward, J. M., Ngai,

J., & Koroshetz, W. J. (2020). The promise

of the BRAIN initiative: NIH strategies for understanding neural circuit function. Current

Opinion in Neurobiology, 65, 162–166. https://doi.

org/10.1016/j.conb.2020.10.008

Ienca, M. (2021). On Neurorights. Frontiers in

Human Neuroscience, 15(September). https://doi.

org/10.3389/fnhum.2021.701258

Illes, J., & Hevia, M. (2021). Neuroscience, Ethics, and

Law: The Past Foretells the Present. Academic Press.

https://doi.org/10.1016/s2589-2959(21)00016-3

Illes, Judy, & Hossain, S. (2017). Neuroethics:

Anticipating the future. Neuroethics: Anticipating

the Future, 1–654. https://doi.org/10.1093/

oso/9780198786832.001.0001

Institute for Security Studies. (2016). Compliance

through pain. Electric shock equipment in South

African prisons. (Issue June).

Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate. (2011). Non-

Lethal weapons (NLW) Reference Book. In

Freedom of Information act - Accepted for Disclosure

(Vol. 552, Issue June).

Jorgenson, L. A., Newsome, W., Anderson, D. J.,

Bargmann, C. I., Brown, E. N., Deisseroth,

K., Donoghue, J. P., Hudson, K. L., Ling, G.

S. F., Macleish, P. R., Marder, E., Normann,

R. A., Sanes, J. R., Schnitzer, M. J., Sejnowski,

T. J., Tank, D. W., Tsien, R. Y., Ugurbil, K., &

Wingfield, J. C. (2015). The BRAIN initiative:

Developing technology to catalyse neuroscience

discovery. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal

Society B: Biological Sciences, 370(1668). https://

doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2014.0164

Koroshetz, W., Gordon, J., Adams, A., Beckel-

Mitchener, A., Churchill, J., Farber, G., Freund,

M., Gnadt, J., Hsu, N. S., Langhals, N., Lisanby,

S., Liu, G., Peng, G. C. Y., Ramos, K., Steinmetz,

M., Talley, E., & White, S. (2018). The state of

the NIH brain initiative. Journal of Neuroscience,

(29), 6427–6438. https://doi.org/10.1523/

JNEUROSCI.3174-17.2018

Krishnan, A. (2016). Military neuroscience and

the coming age of neurowarfare. In Military

Neuroscience and the Coming Age of Neurowarfare.

https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315595429

Labbe, P. (2019). Cognitive Networks and

Systems to Improve Coalition Operations

Effectiveness. Proceedings of the 2019 IEEE

th Asian Conference on Defence Technology,

ACDT 2019, 182–187. https://doi.org/10.1109/

ACDT47198.2019.9072792

Lane, A., Luminet, O., Rimé, B., Gross, J. J., de

Timary, P., & Mikolajczak, M. (2013). Oxytocin

increases willingness to socially share one’s

emotions. International Journal of Psychology :

Journal International de Psychologie, 48(4),

–681. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207594.201

677540

Leppanen, J., Ng, K. W., Kim, Y. R., Tchanturia, K.,

& Treasure, J. (2018). Meta-analytic review of the

effects of a single dose of intranasal oxytocin on

threat processing in humans. Journal of Affective

Disorders, 225, 167–179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.

jad.2017.08.041

Lushetich, N. (2021). Big data - a new medium?

Routledge.

Lyon, D., & Murakami, D. (2021). Big Data

surveillance and security intelligence. The Canadian

case. UBC Press. Vancouver. Toronto.

McGee, E. M., & Maguire, G. Q. (2007). Becoming

borg to become immortal: Regulating brain

implant technologies. Cambridge Quarterly of

Healthcare Ethics, 16(3), 291–302. https://doi.

org/10.1017/S0963180107070326

National Research Council. (2003). An Assessment of

Non-Lethal weapons. Science and Technology. In

An Assessment of Non-Lethal Weapons. Science and

Technology. National Academies Press. https://doi.

org/10.17226/9820

Nixdorff, K., Borisova, T., Komisarenko, S.,

& Dando, M. (2018). Dual-use nanoneurotechnology:

An assessment of the

implications of trends in science and technology.

Politics and the Life Sciences, 37(2), 180–202.

https://doi.org/10.1017/pls.2018.15

Pérez-Sales, P. (2017). Psychological Torture:

Definition, evaluation and measurement. In

Psychological Torture: Definition, Evaluation and

Measurement. Routledge Books. https://doi.

org/10.4324/9781315616940

Pérez-Sales, P. (2020). The 6/24 rule: A review and

proposal for an international standard of a

minimum of six hours of continuous sleep in

detention settings. Torture Journal, 29(2), 1–10.

https://doi.org/10.7146/torture.v29i3.118024

Pérez-Sales, P. (2021). Defining and documenting

threats in the context of ill-treatment and

torture. Torture Journal, 31(1), 3–18. https://doi.

org/10.7146/torture.v31i1.125777

Pérez-Sales, P., & Serra, L. (2020). Internet and

communications as elements for CIDT and

Torture. Initial reflections in an unexplored

field. Torture Journal, 30(1), 5–22. https://doi.

org/10.7146/torture.v30i1.120593

Poldrack, R. A. (2008). The role of fMRI in cognitive

neuroscience: where do we stand? Current

Opinion in Neurobiology, 18(2), 223–227. https://

doi.org/10.1016/j.conb.2008.07.006

Risling, M. (2006). Detailed Examples of NLT : Radio

Frequency Energy , Kinetic Energy and Electro-

Muscular Devices (RTO-EN-HFM-145).

Salari, V., Rodrigues, S., Saglamyurek, E., Simon, C.,

& Oblak, D. (2022). Are Brain–Computer

Interfaces Feasible With Integrated Photonic

Chips? Frontiers in Neuroscience, 15(January),

–16. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2021.780344

Salles, A. (2021). Humanness: Some neuroethical

reflections. In Regulating Neuroscience:

Translational Legal Challenges (1st ed., Vol.

. Elsevier Inc. https://doi.org/10.1016/

bs.dnb.2021.03.002

Schep, L. J., Slaughter, R. J., & McBride, D. I.

(2015). Riot control agents: The tear gases CN,

CS and OC-a medical review. Journal of the Royal

Army Medical Corps, 161(2), 94–99. https://doi.

org/10.1136/jramc-2013-000165

Stroud, N. J., & McGregor, S. C. (2019). Digital

discussions: how big data informs political

communication. Routledge.

United States Air Force Research Laboratory. (2002).

Biological effects of directed energy. AFRL-HEBR-

TR-2002-0226, 8(6), 41‐49.

Verwey, W. D. (1977). Riot Control Agents and

Herbicides in War: Their Humanitarian, Toxicological,

Ecological, Military, Polemological, and Legal

Aspects. Sithjoff International Publishing.

Volcler, J. (2013). Extremely Loud. Sound as weapon.

The New Press.

Wan, J., Zhou, S., Mea, H. J., Guo, Y., Ku, H.,

& Urbina, B. M. (2021). Emerging Roles of

Microfluidics in Brain Research: From Cerebral

Fluids Manipulation to Brain-on-a-Chip

and Neuroelectronic Devices Engineering.

Chemical Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.

chemrev.1c00480

Willett, F. R., Avansino, D. T., Hochberg, L. R.,

Henderson, J. M., & Shenoy, K. V. (2021).

High-performance brain-to-text communication

via handwriting. Nature, 593(7858), 249–254.

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03506-2

Wright, S. (2002). Future sub-lethal, incapacitating &

paralysing technologies: Their coming role in the

mass production of torture, cruel and degrading

treatment. Raft Paper Presented To The Expert

Seminar On Security Equipment & The Prevention

Of Torture, October, 1–26.

Yuste, R., Genser, J., & Herrmann, S. (2021). It’s

Time for Neuro-Rights. Horizons, 18, 154–164.

Zúñiga-Fajuri, A., Miranda, L. V., Miralles, D.

Z., & Venegas, R. S. (2021). Neurorights in

Chile: Between neuroscience and legal science.

In Regulating Neuroscience: Translational Legal

Challenges (1st ed., Vol. 4). Elsevier Inc. https://

doi.org/10.1016/bs.dnb.2021.06.001

Downloads

Published

2022-06-13

How to Cite

Pérez-Sales, P. (2022). The future is here: Mind control and torture in the digital era. Torture Journal, 32(1-2), 280–290. https://doi.org/10.7146/torture.v32i1-2.132846