Arts

Macon Film Guild to screen Internet privacy documentary

Macon Film Guild will screen “Terms and Conditions May Apply” at the Douglass Theatre on Tuesday, October 22 at 7:30 p.m. as part of the guild’s Documentary Series. The 2013 film, directed by Cullen Hoback, focuses on privacy issues in the digital age. IMDb describes it as “A documentary that exposes what corporations and governments learn about people through Internet and cell phone usage…”

Though “Terms and Conditions May Apply” was released this year, it has not been shown in Macon previously. The Macon Film Guild, in partnership with the Douglass Theatre, provides access to critically recognized works of contemporary independent American and foreign directors that would not otherwise be available.

“Term and Conditions May Apply” movie poster.

For those who are unaware, almost every major Internet company gathers data on users of “free services” in order to use and sell that data, often in the form of advertising. These uses are described in the “terms and conditions” that users must agree to before signing up, but often do not read.

The film synopsis for “Terms and Conditions May Apply” states:

“Admit it: you don’t really read the endless terms and conditions connected to every website you visit, phone call you make or app you download. But every day, billion-dollar corporations are learning more about your interests, your friends and family, your finances, and your secrets… and are not only selling the information to the highest bidder, but freely sharing it with the government. And you agreed to all of it. With fascinating examples and so-unbelievable-they’re-almost-funny facts, filmmaker Cullen Hoback exposes what governments and corporations are legally taking from you every day.”

Tickets for the October 22 screening are only $5.

Macon Film Guild also offers memberships and volunteer opportunities. Visit MaconFilmGuild.com for more information.