Snowden, Internet Pioneers Issue Warnings about Internet of Things & Smart Home Privacy in New CuriosityStream Documentary

SILVER SPRING, Md., Oct. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Premiering today on CuriosityStream, the worldwide exclusive, original 4K series DIGITS takes viewers on a deep dive into the history of the Internet with exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes insight into the remarkable technology that now permeates our lives. The series explores the potential applications—and risks—of innovations like virtual reality, artificial intelligence and 24/7 surveillance.

Hosted by Derek Muller, creator of the YouTube Channel "Veritasium," the 3-hour series DIGITS reveals the often startling revelations and warnings issued by dozens of Internet scholars and pioneers, including America's most well-known whistleblower and former NSA contractor, Edward Snowden, who shed light on gaping privacy holes and future implications of constant connectivity.

"With October being National Cyber Security Month, we felt it was a great opportunity to force ourselves to ask, 'Just how secure are we?'" said DIGITS Executive Producer Noah Morowitz. "In DIGITS, you'll hear why Snowden feels everyone should be encrypting every message we send, and how closely we're on the cusp of artificial intelligence that could put the human race as we know it at risk. This series will definitely make you think twice about the smartphones and computers we all rely on every day."

In Episode 1, "Connecting to the Future," Muller escorts viewers to the physical heart of the Internet, revealing the very first message sent by UCLA professor Leonard Kleinrock, and demonstrating how Internet co-creators Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn devised a common protocol language that gave birth to the Internet as we know it.

In "Man vs. Machine," the second episode, viewers get a sneak peek into how the Internet of Things will soon dominate daily life, along with a history of web advertising, search engines, tracking cameras and "cookies," revealing unsettling notions about how, when it comes to privacy, the Internet is unlike any other medium. As Snowden provocatively points out, "TV is a medium that you watch. The Internet is a medium that watches you as you watch it."

And Episode 3, "Guardians of the Web," explores how our growing reliance on the web creates massive vulnerability to everything from cyber theft to a complete Internet system failure. Muller introduces viewers to "white hat" hackers, the U.S. Secret Service's cybercrime division and even West Point soldiers, all of whom are working to protect us from the risks associated with persistent connectivity, as the Web transitions from a medium to a utility, on par with electricity.

"When you think about the fact that your washing machine is a computer and can be used to attack other computers within your own home network—your laptop, your tablet, your phone…or better yet, when your toaster gets connected to the Internet, think about who has the capability to turn that on. This brings us to this big question of, 'well what do we do about it?'" Snowden says. "Unencrypted communications, has brought us to a world where the most intimate details of our life are transiting over a network path that is routinely hostile. At the same time, those messages are electronically naked. The only way to put some clothes on them, to sort of armor our messages, is to encrypt them."

Learn how Snowden and other experts suggest we cope with the threat by watching DIGITS for free today with a new 30-day trial subscription at www.curiositystream.com. Each 1-hour episode is available now, along with over 1,500 other high-quality original and licensed titles, many in 4K (Ultra HD), on the premier ad-free, on-demand streaming service.

About CuriosityStream
CuriosityStream is the world's first ad-free, on-demand streaming service for documentary and nonfiction programming from the world's best filmmakers, available on any device, starting at just $2.99 per month. Focused on offering enriching and enlightening content covering science, technology, civilization and the human spirit, CuriosityStream was founded by Discovery Communications founder and media visionary John Hendricks. For more information, visit www.curiositystream.com.

Video - http://origin-qps.onstreammedia.com/origin/multivu_archive/PRNA/ENR/DIGITS-Series-Trailer.mp4

SOURCE CuriosityStream