BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU

Big Brother   IS Watching

 

The increasing use of surveillance technologies like Big Brother and Flock cameras has raised significant concerns about privacy and Americans right to privacy.   The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has warned that the United States is moving towards becoming a total “surveillance society.” This concern stems from the rapid advancement of technology, which, combined with eroding legal protections against government spying, increasing private sector tracking, and the blurring line between public and private sector surveillance, creates a powerful and less restrained surveillance capability.   The ACLU highlights this trend in their report, "Bigger Monster, Weaker Chains," noting that the only  barriers preventing a full-fledged surveillance society are the legal and political institutions inherent to American democracy. They express concern that events like the September 11 attacks have led to a weakening of constitutional protections in the name of national security. The report argues that surveillance capabilities are growing rapidly, while the legal means to restrain them are diminishing​.

 

Flock Safety, a company deploying automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) cameras, has also been a focus of scrutiny. Unlike targeted ALPR systems that only retain  data if there's a hit against a watchlist, Flock's system builds a comprehensive network that records and makes available the movements of vehicles across the nation. This system provides sweeping surveillance capabilities to even small-town sheriffs and federal agencies, effectively creating a centralized mass surveillance system.     Text Link

 

Flock collaborates with police departments, neighborhood watches, and other private customers, enabling the creation of private "hot lists" and the checking of all plates against state police watchlists and the FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC). The ACLU emphasizes that while some uses of ALPRs are legitimate, such as for stolen vehicle identification or AMBER Alerts, the creation of extensive records of individuals' movements without individualized suspicion of wrongdoing is a significant overreach​.   Reports also point out that many police departments adopt Flock's system simply because others in their region do, not necessarily because they endorse its mass surveillance approach. They suggest regulation and negotiation around data retention, sharing, and usage by law enforcement as crucial steps to protect privacy. They further advise restricting local ALPR systems to local use only, preventing their data from being used by outside law enforcement, which can lead to significant privacy risks and misuse of data​ which we know from the past can be of real concern!

 

Moreover, the reliability of the databases used in these surveillance systems, like the NCIC, is questionable. The NCIC doesn't fully comply with the 1974 United States   Privacy Act's requirements for accuracy, reliability, and completeness.   Therefore, running ALPR data against such databases could lead to unjustified arrests and detentions, disproportionately affecting vulnerable, over-policed communities. The argument is against blindly accepting Flock's model, advocating for systems that are confined to local communities rather than contributing to a national and international mass-surveillance system​​.   The expansion of surveillance technologies like Big Brother and Flock cameras represents a significant threat to privacy. These systems' capacity to collect and analyze vast amounts of data without adequate legal restraint or oversight poses a danger to the fundamental rights of individuals and communities.            The dangers of surveillance technologies like facial recognition and license plate recognition systems extend beyond privacy infringement; they have led to wrongful  arrests and detentions.            Law enforcement agencies in the United States receive funding for Flock cameras and similar technologies primarily through federal grant programs. One of the key sources of this funding is the Edward Byrne Memorial   Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. This program, managed by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), is a primary source of federal funding for state and local law enforcement initiatives. It allows states and units of local government, including tribes, to support a wide range of activities aimed at preventing and controlling crime based on their own state and local needs and  conditions. The funds can be used for various purposes, including law enforcement programs,   prosecution and court programs, crime prevention and education, corrections and community corrections programs, drug treatment and enforcement programs, and technology improvement programs, among others​​​​​. For instance, the City of Trotwood received $12,578 in 2021 and $15,909 in 2022 under the JAG program to support its law enforcement initiatives, which   could include technology like Flock cameras​​.

 

Additionally, the Department of Justice has announced grant awards totaling over $37 million to support evidence-based law enforcement strategies designed to build trust (lol) with communities and improve public safety, i.e., spy on them and invade their privacy.   These grants, made by the BJA and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), should be called in-justice, or as I like to put it, “Big Brother is Watching!” They support partnerships between researchers and law enforcement professionals, fund body-worn camera programs, and underwrite research and evaluation   projects examining police practices​.   ​nounced significant private funding, raising $150 million in a Series D round led b

​         Flock Safety, the company behind Flock cameras, has also announced significant private funding, raising $150 million in a Series D round led by Andreessen Horowitz. These federal grants and private investments highlight the growing emphasis on technology in law enforcement overreach and control.

AH: Sorry the format looks weird. 

From the Scriptures for America Dragon Slayer newsletter 2024, Vol. 1.