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A Law to Spy Back on Government Surveillance Cameras?

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the who's-gonna-monitor-the-monitors-of-the-monitors. dept.

mattnyc99 writes "As the Senate begins debate today on wider new surveillance legislation, Instapundit blogger and University of Tennessee law professor Glenn Reynolds has an interesting op-ed as part of Popular Mechanics' cover story on the looming power of spy cameras in America. He cites numerous court cases to argue that our privacy concerns may be backwards, and that there should be a new law for citizen rights — that if Big Brother can keep an eye on us in public spaces, we ought to be able to look back. From the accompanying podcast: 'Realistically I don't think we're going to get much in the way of limits on government and business surveillance. So I think we should be focusing more on making it safe, on making it a double-edged sword.'"

5 of 229 comments (clear)

  1. Ugh by SamP2 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    So if before I was only worried about law enforcement violating my privacy, now I can add the entire US population to the list.

    Sorry, I just don't see how two wrongs can make a right here.

  2. Two wrongs don't make a right by jockeys · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Us doing it to them doesn't really make them doing it to us and less wrong.

    The medicine is still nasty underneath all that sugar.

    --

    In Soviet Russia jokes are formulaic and decidedly non-humorous.
    1. Re:Two wrongs don't make a right by 0xdeadbeef · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The ability to monitor the government is a necessary foundation for free and open society. It is not a second "wrong", it's a fundamental right that has been increasingly trampled upon.

  3. Re:I agree by StarEmperor · · Score: 3, Insightful

    So anyone can make a recording of the on-duty government employee who's changing the launch codes for the nukes? Or the state-paid lawer who's talking with a client? Or the government doctor who is reviewing someone's medical records?

    I agree with the sentiment of what you're advocating, but surely some things should be kept secret.

  4. Re:Employee supervision by 0100010001010011 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    What's so scary about it? You're at your desk. Doing work. I am paying you. I should be able to watch you.

    If you're slacking, watching porn, fapping, NOT working, I have a right no know.

    It's not that I'm going to sit there and watch you 24/7, but I should have the option. If my boss and my IT department can watch where I go on the internet and walk into my cube at anytime, why is it unreasonable to think that the person who pays your paycheck can do the same?