October 21 Meeting: The Surveillance State

The surveillance state, to a degree, has been around for a long time. But New Tech has brought it back to prominence.  From the edge of space to wearable devices we can listen and look – and report somewhere.  Technological advances make Cold War intrusions look puny and crude.

Most of the time – especially here Up North – most of us are largely oblivious to surveillance issues.  But the ongoing attention to traffic cameras + a series of articles in the national press have brought renewed attention to surveillance/privacy issues.  While once the issue was almost exclusively GOVERNMENT surveillance, now the arena is flooded with commercial and private activities.

The topic is so big and unwieldy that one is tempted to avoid even acknowledging it.  But for all the opportunities for security and convenience  there’s a related risk of unwanted overhearing or observation.  Are there guardrails or rules  to protect privacy?  Is the Fourth Amendment’s prohibition of unwarranted searches sufficient?  What kinds of trade-offs between security/convenience and privacy are we prepared to make?

What do we think, going forward?  “Resistance is futile…” or  “to the barricades!” or  “let’s do a deal…”?

You can find a selection of readings on the surveillance state here.