Changes

===ECHELON===

===ECHELON===

Project [[ECHELON]] is a program that came to public light during the [[Bill Clinton|Clinton]] era.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/503224.stm |title=Echelon spy network revealed |work=[[BBC]] |date= March 16, 2008 }}</ref>. Since this was discovered while under left wing governance, news outlets such as [[The New York Times]] were in support of it<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2006/01/under_clinton_ny_times_called.html |title=Under Clinton, NY Times called surveillance "a necessity" |work=[[American Thinker]] |date=January 12, 2006 }}</ref>.

Project [[ECHELON]] is a program that came to public light during the [[Bill Clinton|Clinton]] era.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/503224.stm |title=Echelon spy network revealed |work=[[BBC]] |date= March 16, 2008 }}</ref>  Since this was discovered while under left wing governance, news outlets such as [[The New York Times]] were in support of it.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2006/01/under_clinton_ny_times_called.html |title=Under Clinton, NY Times called surveillance "a necessity" |work=[[American Thinker]] |date=January 12, 2006 }}</ref>

===Airport Pat Downs===

===Airport Pat Downs===

Not all surveillance occurs in an electronic form with either cameras, or behind the scenes in a phone or internet connected situation, or both.  In 2010 the [[Transportation Security Administration]] implemented new<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/10/28/airline.security.pat.down/ |title=TSA to phase in new pat-down procedures at airports nationwide |work=[[CNN]] |date=October 29, 2010 }}</ref> pat down procedures that were sometimes referred to as "legal groping"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/11/21/tsa.pat.downs/ |title=Enhanced pat-downs necessary for now, TSA chief says |work=[[CNN]] |date=November 21, 2010 }}</ref>.

Not all surveillance occurs in an electronic form with either cameras, or behind the scenes in a phone or internet connected situation, or both.  In 2010 the [[Transportation Security Administration]] implemented new<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/10/28/airline.security.pat.down/ |title=TSA to phase in new pat-down procedures at airports nationwide |work=[[CNN]] |date=October 29, 2010 }}</ref> pat down procedures that were sometimes referred to as "legal groping".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/11/21/tsa.pat.downs/ |title=Enhanced pat-downs necessary for now, TSA chief says |work=[[CNN]] |date=November 21, 2010 }}</ref>

====High Profile Incidents====

====High Profile Incidents====

While groping has been much talked about and for some seems like a common place occurrence<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-tsa-records-detail-alleged-sexual-assaults-of-travelers-at-three-u-s-airports/ |title=Judicial Watch: TSA Records Detail Alleged Sexual Assaults of Travelers at Three U.S. Airports |work=[[Judicial Watch]] |date=May 12, 2015 }}</ref>, it is not just individual citizens who are finding themselves in this situation<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/04/15/2-tsa-screeners-in-denver-fired-over-groping-scheme-allegations/ |title=2 TSA screeners in Denver fired over groping scheme allegations |work=[[Fox News]] |date=April 15, 2015 }}</ref>.

While groping has been much talked about and for some seems like a common place occurrence,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-tsa-records-detail-alleged-sexual-assaults-of-travelers-at-three-u-s-airports/ |title=Judicial Watch: TSA Records Detail Alleged Sexual Assaults of Travelers at Three U.S. Airports |work=[[Judicial Watch]] |date=May 12, 2015 }}</ref> it is not just individual citizens who are finding themselves in this situation.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/04/15/2-tsa-screeners-in-denver-fired-over-groping-scheme-allegations/ |title=2 TSA screeners in Denver fired over groping scheme allegations |work=[[Fox News]] |date=April 15, 2015 }}</ref>

Senator [[Rand Paul]] was detained at an airport in Nashville<ref>{{cite web |url=https://dailycaller.com/2012/01/23/rand-paul-on-tsa-detainment-i-was-barked-at-do-not-leave-the-cubicle/ |title=Rand Paul on TSA detainment: ‘I was barked at: ‘Do not leave the cubicle!” |work=[[Fox News]] |date=January 23, 2012 }}</ref>.

Senator [[Rand Paul]] was detained at an airport in Nashville<ref>{{cite web |url=https://dailycaller.com/2012/01/23/rand-paul-on-tsa-detainment-i-was-barked-at-do-not-leave-the-cubicle/ |title=Rand Paul on TSA detainment: ‘I was barked at: ‘Do not leave the cubicle!” |work=[[Fox News]] |date=January 23, 2012 }}</ref>.

===NSA Spying===

===NSA Spying===

In June 2013 [[Edward J. Snowden]] embarrassed [[Barack Obama]] by revealing the mass domestic surveillance program known as "PRISM". That program involved the collection of personal information on millions of Americans, from a wide variety of private companies.  In addition, the NSA maintains a massive data collection center in Utah<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/07/01/seven-stats-to-know-about-nsas-utah-data-center-as-it-nears-completion/ |title=7 Stats to Know About NSA’s Massive Utah Data Center as It Nears Completion |work=[[The Blaze]] |date= July 1, 2013 }}</ref>. Under the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), which was enacted in 1994, Telecommunication companies are required to build taps into their infrastructure, for government use. This gives government agencies (and Chinese state-sponsored hackers)<ref>https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/07/the-30-year-old-internet-backdoor-law-that-came-back-to-bite/</ref><ref>https://stateofsurveillance.org/articles/surveillance/salt-typhoon-telecom-hack/</ref> access to telephone calls, internet activity, text messages, and other such data. Although CALEA taps are used heavily by the NSA, other government agencies can access them as well.<ref>https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/RL30677.html</ref><ref>https://archive.epic.org/privacy/wiretap/calea/dc_cir_decision.html</ref>

In June 2013 [[Edward J. Snowden]] embarrassed [[Barack Obama]] by revealing the mass domestic surveillance program known as "PRISM". That program involved the collection of personal information on millions of Americans, from a wide variety of private companies.  In addition, the NSA maintains a massive data collection center in Utah.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/07/01/seven-stats-to-know-about-nsas-utah-data-center-as-it-nears-completion/ |title=7 Stats to Know About NSA's Massive Utah Data Center as It Nears Completion |work=[[The Blaze]] |date= July 1, 2013 }}</ref> Under the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), which was enacted in 1994, Telecommunication companies are required to build taps into their infrastructure, for government use. This gives government agencies (and Chinese state-sponsored hackers)<ref>https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/07/the-30-year-old-internet-backdoor-law-that-came-back-to-bite/</ref><ref>https://stateofsurveillance.org/articles/surveillance/salt-typhoon-telecom-hack/</ref> access to telephone calls, internet activity, text messages, and other such data. Although CALEA taps are used heavily by the NSA, other government agencies can access them as well.<ref>https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/RL30677.html</ref><ref>https://archive.epic.org/privacy/wiretap/calea/dc_cir_decision.html</ref>

===Private lands===

===Private lands===

Many individuals and organizations choose to install surveillance on their own property, which is in a different category than mass government spying.  Private citizens want to protect their property from theft or vandalism, whereas an out of control government wants to protect its own power from citizens who may vote them out in the next election.

Many individuals and organizations choose to install surveillance on their own property, which is in a different category than mass government spying.  Private citizens want to protect their property from theft or vandalism, whereas an out of control government wants to protect its own power from citizens who may vote them out in the next election.

Surveillance on private lands typically does not fall into the category of ''mass surveillance'', such as small businesses and home owners.  Large corporations, for example retail chains, food chains, banks, and others do have mass surveillance since they have so many locations.  This private video can be subpoenaed for various legal purposes<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2013/10/02/228134269/your-digital-trail-does-the-fourth-amendment-protect-us |title=Your Digital Trail: Does The Fourth Amendment Protect Us? |work=[[NPR]] |date=October 02, 2013 }}</ref>.

Surveillance on private lands typically does not fall into the category of ''mass surveillance'', such as small businesses and home owners.  Large corporations, for example retail chains, food chains, banks, and others do have mass surveillance since they have so many locations.  This private video can be subpoenaed for various legal purposes.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2013/10/02/228134269/your-digital-trail-does-the-fourth-amendment-protect-us |title=Your Digital Trail: Does The Fourth Amendment Protect Us? |work=[[NPR]] |date=October 2, 2013 }}</ref>

==Third Party services==

==Third Party services==

===Mercenary surveillance===

===Mercenary surveillance===

In the late 2010s, a new and rapidly growing industry emerged. Private companies began offering mass surveillance services, for a fee, to both government and private entities. While the US government could not legally perform dragnet surveillance, the thinking was that third party companies could do it on the government's behalf. The first successful business in this industry, was [[Flock Safety]]. They began deploying AI powered cameras in large numbers, to track the movements of every single person. Although promising not to be doing facial recognition,<ref>https://www.flocksafety.com/trust</ref> Flock's Condor cameras did support searching for people based on identifying characteristics. (Later on, there were also add-on options from separate companies, which would run facial recognition services on Flock camera feeds.)<ref>https://www.biometricupdate.com/202609/vendor-pitches-facial-recognition-layer-for-flock-camera-data</ref><ref>https://www.gadgetreview.com/surveillance-firm-pitches-facial-recognition-add-on-for-flock-cameras</ref> However, Flock's most successful service, was a nationwide surveillance grid composed of roadside [[Automated license plate reader|Automated License Plate Readers]] (ALPRs). Each ALPR would scan every vehicle passing by, recording the license plate, bumper stickers, vehicle make, model, color, customizations, and other matters.<ref>https://www.flocksafety.com/not-all-lprs-are-created-equal</ref><ref>https://www.flocksafety.com/products/license-plate-readers</ref> This data was collected and analyzed by their central AI to determine each person's movement patterns, current location, who they associate with, and more.

In the late 2010s, a new and rapidly growing industry emerged. Private companies began offering mass surveillance services, for a fee, to both government and private entities. While the US government could not legally perform dragnet surveillance, the thinking was that third-party companies could do it on the government's behalf. The first successful business in this industry, was [[Flock Safety]]. They began deploying AI powered cameras in large numbers, to track the movements of every single person. Although promising not to be doing facial recognition,<ref>https://www.flocksafety.com/trust</ref> Flock's Condor cameras did support searching for people based on identifying characteristics. (Later on, there were also add-on options from separate companies, which would run facial recognition services on Flock camera feeds.)<ref>https://www.biometricupdate.com/202609/vendor-pitches-facial-recognition-layer-for-flock-camera-data</ref><ref>https://www.gadgetreview.com/surveillance-firm-pitches-facial-recognition-add-on-for-flock-cameras</ref> However, Flock's most successful service, was a nationwide surveillance grid composed of roadside [[Automated license plate reader|Automated License Plate Readers]] (ALPRs). Each ALPR would scan every vehicle passing by, recording the license plate, bumper stickers, vehicle make, model, color, customizations, and other matters.<ref>https://www.flocksafety.com/not-all-lprs-are-created-equal</ref><ref>https://www.flocksafety.com/products/license-plate-readers</ref> This data was collected and analyzed by their central AI to determine each person's movement patterns, current location, who they associate with, and more.

Seeing how lucrative this mass surveillance industry was becoming, numerous other companies began their own competing services. [[Axon Enterprise|Axon]], [[Leonardo ELSAG|Leonardo]], [[Rekor Systems|Rekor]], [[Genetec]], [[Motorola Solutions]] as well as others, began building their own mass surveillance grids. They offered to lease and/or sell their hardware, and some of those vendors also supported facial recognition. Additionally, some other vendors began offering software systems to do the same thing, without custom hardware.

Seeing how lucrative this mass surveillance industry was becoming, numerous other companies began their own competing services. [[Axon Enterprise|Axon]], [[Leonardo ELSAG|Leonardo]], [[Rekor Systems|Rekor]], [[Genetec]], [[Motorola Solutions]] as well as others, began building their own mass surveillance grids. They offered to lease and/or sell their hardware, and some of those vendors also supported facial recognition. Additionally, some other vendors began offering software systems to do the same thing, without custom hardware.

<references />

<references />

==External Links==

==External links==

* [https://www.eff.org/issues/mass-surveillance-technologies Mass Surveillance Technologies], [[Electronic Frontier Foundation]]

* [https://www.eff.org/issues/mass-surveillance-technologies Mass Surveillance Technologies], [[Electronic Frontier Foundation]]

[[Category:Surveillance]]

[[Category:Surveillance]]

[[Category:Law Enforcement]]

[[Category:Law Enforcement]]