The right to knowledge

Dave Eggers’ The Circle also explores the question of whether human beings have the right to know everything, and whether they should know everything. The Circle gives users access to huge amounts of data about themselves and others, selling the idea that this will improve the lives of individuals and of society as a whole. 

However, having constant access to statistics and data makes people who use The Circle anxious and neurotic. The Circle has created a system where people are rewarded for communicating constantly online, and where their participation and popularity are constantly ranked. Mercer explains why this is a problem: The Circle’s tools “actually manufacture unnaturally extreme social needs. No one needs the level of contact you’...