I find it ironic that there's a reply about people who don't read it not getting 1984 as a reply to this. The surveillance is a minor part of 1984. It's largely about them controlling thought. They control language and the media to make it almost impossible to speak against them. "Big Brother" is the meme that gets repeated (I think because it was the only part that fit conservative thought, so they made that what 1984 is instead of it being against them), but it isn't the important lesson to be taken from it.