The Circle’ Taps Use Data to Control Their Adver - Saries

CHICAGOLAWBULLETIN.COM FRIDAY, MAY 5, 2017

Volume 163, No. 88 Serving Chicago’s legal community for 162 years

themselves behind protective screens of access codes and non- disclosure agreements, as they ‘The Circle’ taps use data to control their adver - saries. When Bailey announces the in - REBECCA troduction of a new Circle prod - into surveillance uct, SeeChange, he paces the L. F ORD stage, as Steve Jobs used to do, in front of a giant screen at a company assembly. SeeChange is a camera the size of a marble culture angst Rebecca L. Ford is counsel at Scharf Banks Marmor LLC, and concentrates that can be hidden anywhere. As her practice on complex litigation, Bailey speaks, SeeChange cam - compliance, board governance and eras are already posted pretty Tom Hanks makes totalitarianism charming specialized employment issues. She is much everywhere. “Now the en - the former executive vice president for tire world is watching,” Bailey ex - as a Steve Jobs proxy with a hidden agenda litigation and intellectual property at claims with faux humility. MGM. She can be reached at “Knowing is good. Knowing “Ninety percent of you out movie, as is often true in life, are [email protected]. everything is better.” there allow people to know people we trust. Tom Hanks is The balance of the movie is everything about you by turning Eamon Bailey, the charismatic (Emma Watson) who works in devoted to proving him wrong. on geo-tracking on your phone. I CEO of a monolithic Silicon Val - the collections call center at a Mae joins forces with the mys - am in the 10 percent because I ley social media company, The water company. Through a terious third founder of The know what they do with that Circle, headquartered on a futur - friend, she lands a job in the Circle who has gone rogue, Ty data,” admonished the queen of istic ring-shaped campus. His “customer experience” depart - Lafitte (John Boyega), as the cognitive technology, IBM CEO “atta girl” style of spouting un - ment of The Circle. two try to turn the tables on the Ginni Rometty, in a May 1 speech provable axioms — “sharing is She moves from her parents’ tormentors. to the tuxed and coiffed crowd at caring” and “without secrets and (Glenne Headly and the late Bill Although “The Circle” has the Economic Club of Chicago. the hoarding of knowledge we Paxton, in his final role) home in many elements of a successful She should know. Her warning can reach our potential” — a ramshackle neighborhood, movie, it feels flat and lacking in resonates in the reservoirs of makes the totalitarian seem aspi - barely a step up from a trailer energy. As a cautionary tale, it anxiety that reside in the nation - rational. park, to The Circle’s campus nags rather than inspires. Per - al consciousness. He’s a charming, avuncular housing. haps this is because, as Rometty “The Circle,” adapted from the bad guy. That’s how they getcha. Circle employees complacently suggested, 90 percent of us have 2013 Dave Eggers novel that taps Comedian Patton Oswalt as grind away under the company’s already given up the fight. Our into this well, does nothing to Tom Stenton, is The Circle’s enforced theology of transparen - apathy consoles our ignorance. allay the angst. Its message is henchman COO. cy. They are pressured to join Still, as we tap away our priva - that we have released into our The third, unnamed, villain in affinity groups and fraternize cy, disclosing our whereabouts, culture a Pandora’s box of tech - this film is the crowd. Insatiable with other Circlers. Meetings our history and our innermost nological entanglements that we in their curiosity and merciless and social events are monitored thoughts in exchange for mailbox don’t fully understand and have in their intrusion, the collective for attendance. E-mails are spam and pizza delivery, there is no idea how to control, or even citizens of the web-verse know meticulously analyzed. one takeaway from “The Circle” influence. no boundaries — they are a mob. This cult of constant exposure that shouldn’t be ignored: When To confuse matters, the vil - Into this ripe environment does not extend to Bailey and the crowd becomes a swarm, it lains and antiheroes of the steps millennial ingénue Mae Stenton, however, who shield will devour you.