[clue-talk] surveillance cameras

[Sean LeBlanc]

On 09-17 19:51, Dennis J Perkins wrote:
> Has anyone noticed cameras monitoring our streets?  I don't know how
> many streets have them, but County Line, Dry Creek and Mineral have
> them.  I imagine that they were purchased with counterterrorism money. 
> 
> We are becoming a surveilled society. 

I've noticed cameras along Dry Creek,too - those ones up on those poles
outside that one school? 

Becoming? Maybe it's just a matter of degrees. Surveillance is a booming
business. 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11832024/site/newsweek/

Oh, and we can ALL get that data soon, too. I doubt the scenario given about
tracking an official having an affair is likely though. Some are more equal
than others, and I know for a fact that data on judges is off-limits or
expunged when it comes to driver records (at least in Colorado), so I
imagine the same thing would apply to systems like this. All the data on the
hoi polloi is fine, though: 

http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2006/07/71436

I actually know someone who told me there is a big company up in Ft Collins
(forget name) that is/was hiring contractors, and their business is video
surveillance, IIRC. He knew because the company also had presence in his
area in Cali, and he mentioned it to me as they pay quite well, apparently.
Most of the tools were MS stuff, though. I can't remember for sure, but I
think some security clearance was needed, too.

And, the use of spy satellites is going to "widen", apparently:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/15/AR2007081502430_pf.html

Hopefully, the so-called "oversight" is actually heeded. Ha! Hell, we had
FISA, and the President blatantly violated it anyway. The fact that most
people just wave(d) that off doesn't give me much confidence in resisting
all these other surveillance schemes. Even the Democrats when they got into
office didn't seem to do or talk much about it - in fact, IIRC, they took
impeachment "off the table". WTF? What kind of opposition party is that?

I imagine a lot of systems talked about for/deployed in Iraq will be brought
home. I know there was talk of drones being used for civilian purposes,
although I don't know if that ever got any legs. Here's a particularly
alarming one, although I have no idea what sort of success rate it has/had:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/org/news/2003/030701-darpa-track01.htm

I cannot imagine that even if we left Iraq that the contractor(s) that
built that system wouldn't want to sell that to cities back home. And
without clear laws preventing it, it will happen. From the article: 


 "The project's centerpiece is groundbreaking computer software that is
 capable of automatically identifying vehicles by size, color, shape and
 license tag, or drivers and passengers by face.
 [...]
 Its other projects include developing software that scans databases of
 everyday transactions and personal records worldwide to predict terrorist
 attacks and creating a computerized diary that would record and analyze
 everything a person says, sees, hears, reads or touches."

Chilling, no? 

-- 
Sean LeBlanc:seanleblanc at comcast.net  
http://sean-leblanc.blogspot.com/
Energizer Bunny arrested. Charged with battery. 
(contributed by Frank v Waveren)