Would George Orwell have had a smartphone? | BBC Ideas

George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four was published more than 70 years ago in 1949. 1984 imagines a society controlled by Big Brother, where people are monitored by the state using advanced technology. If George Orwell were alive today would he be worrying about social media, fake news and online privacy? Would he even have a smartphone? Enjoyed this video? Here’s another thinker from history... What would Foucault say about fake news?