Privacy. It matters.
I was talking with a government employee recently about the use of license plate scanning cameras by police and the pros and cons of this technology. “They will definitely help us catch the bad guys,” he told me. “But there are privacy concerns among some.”
Count me in as one of the “some.” As a law-abiding citizen, I don’t want to be subjected to unnecessary — and often unannounced — government surveillance. After all, this is still the land of the free, right?
The government employee I spoke with also explained the irony of home cameras and citizens who are not willing to give local police access to them. “If we want access, we will get access through a subpoena or whatever other necessary means, whether they agree to it or not.”
Does that concern you? It should.
Let’s look at a potential situation, albeit on the extreme side. Your neighbor’s house burns to the ground, and the police suspect it was arson. You didn’t do it, but you don’t have an alibi. The investigators believe you set the flame. Let’s say I am the prosecuting attorney, and I do some basic research in my efforts to build a case against you.
First, I gain access to your doorbell camera, scour through your videos and find a few with you walking across your front yard with a red gas can in hand. You know you were simply filling your lawn mower up on the other side of the lawn, but that didn't show on the camera.
I then search your Amazon purchases and find specific clothes you recently bought that happen to be flame-retardant. You didn’t even know they are flame-retardant, but they most certainly are.
Next, I scan your online music streaming and learn you frequently listen to Def Leppard’s “Pyromania” album. Further searches also find “Light My Fire” by The Doors, "Play With Fire" by The Rolling Stones and even "Fire and Rain" by James Taylor.
And, to further cement the case against you, I gain access to your YouTube viewing history and compile a list of videos of forest fires you happened to watch.
Keep in mind, like Billy Joel, you didn't start the fire — but, unfortunately, you may go down in flames from this easily accessed and possibly damning information. Does this sound far-fetched? Unfortunately, it isn’t.
Privacy. It matters.
Have a meaningful Monday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com | 
