My smart tv spies on me. I think it's helping build my social credit profile that will turn on or off opportunities for me at some point.

Much more sophisticated than jail.

It used to be that if you muttered something about bombs and the president on the telephone, you could get two men in black suits at your door. Social media is monitored more than that, though I don't think you get the same response unless you're going through customs. Or are middle eastern.

That's what people remember about 1984, but that actually only applied if you were middle class like Winston, since they didn't control his boss nor any of the proles.

So the actual message of the book was that living in England sucks, which as far as I can tell is still true.

Alexa, remind me not to order a telestrator.

The state has mostly learned that allowing a measure of dissent and criticism is fine, and even strengthens its claims to legitimacy, as long as it's of a mostly non-revolutionary character. This is why Noam Chomsky is allowed to inveigh impotently against American imperialism while keeping his university sinecure and book deals.

On the other hand, if you start something like the Black Panthers, or MLK's planned march on DC, or the Ferguson protests, then something much more final than prison may be used to get rid of you.

I can be killed if I go to the streets to protest my government, yes.

I can be killed if I am a journalist and dare to say anything bad against my government.

So, not exactly the same, but not too different either.

It is rumored that some Smart-TVs, Smart-Speakers and other smart things have that capability.