IF YOU DRIVE, THEY'RE TRACKING YOU

Automated license plate readers that track every single license plate they see and often store the data indefinitely have become a hot topic lately. The databases of information, which includes every sighting of a particular plate (i.e. you) over long periods of time can be viewed much like Google maps. Hope you didn't park in front of a crack den when you went out for milk.

Your new fingerprint. Via Wikimedia Commons.

The ACLU has been blasting not only the surveillance of innocent (though assumed-guilty) citizens, but also the varying retention policies of law enforcement offices. A few discard the info after a few days, some hold onto it for years (you never know when a "good guy" could turn out to actually be a "bad guy"), and others don't see a reason to have a policy at all. They have a page on their site dedicated to ALPR systems and a report in PDF format.

But what else can we do to protect our privacy against a government who continues to expand its powers? (And on a side note, do you trust the government to keep all the data it has on you safe?) While we haven't used it, you may want to invest in the NoPhoto license plate frame.

Or maybe you should never drive ever again, at least not in America.

PRISM: WE ARE ALL ENEMIES OF THE STATE, BUT DOES ANYONE EVEN CARE?

It was a top story on newscasts, news sites, newspapers, and more, but will the American public have any reaction to PRISM? The story didn't get as much attention as Angelina Jolie's boob-job, or Kim Kardashian's pregnancy, but at least the mainstream media has finally made an effort to cover the issue of government spying (maybe because they've recently fallen victim to government spying).

But will it change anything? Does the public even care?

I can't count how many people I've spoken to about NSA whistleblowers, ThinThread, warrantless surveillance and its huge increase over the past few years, the PATRIOT Act, the Protect America Act, and the terrible nightmares I have because of all this. I've been called "crazy", "paranoid", a "conspiracy nut", and so on. Even after the news broke about PRISM, people still said I was a whack-job. They weren't interested in the story, and many still don't believe it. To me, that's the scariest part of it all. Hardly anyone cares.

This is where the magic happens.

Should we tell them everyone is a target? Should we let them know this has been going on since 2001, not 2007? Or that the government is downplaying the amount of data it keeps? Would anyone care that this spying has been used to take down government officials? They'd probably only care if it was a reality show.

Maybe we should give out copies of Enemy of the State, which did a superb job of outlining government spying capabilities while referencing actual NSA history and techniques. Even in 1998 they were just about spot on. Replace the satellites with ARGUS drones and it could be a documentary. Could Will Smith open everyone's eyes?

It's doubtful. The government will continue expanding its power and slowly leaking the information to test the waters. Each time they'll be taking more and more of our privacy, and the public will remain distracted by same-sex marriages, Duck Dynasty, fast food prices, getting drunk, or whatever else they think it so much more important than basic privacy rights.

If you're interested in maintaining any of your privacy, we recommend smashing all your electronics, selling your car, and heading off into the woods somewhere.