Reprinted from The Examiner
System of mass surveillance and data warehousing on law-abiding persons and citizens prompts privacy rights campaign
Hundreds of drones descended on Las Vegas this week, with their makers trying to overcome the stigma of the word “drone,” are showing off their role in the nation’s system of mass surveillance and data warehousing on law-abiding persons and citizens, also demonstrating the need for a new rights campaign that launched this week.
“Las Vegas this week will be transformed into the drone capital of the world, as hundreds of unmanned vehicle companies descend on Sin City for the industry’s largest trade show,” the Washington Times reported Sunday.
As many as 500 drone and related exhibits are on display in Sin City this week, along with a wide range of speakers giving presentations, including acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration.
The Sci-fi spy on Americans business is booming. Now available only to military, police departments and government agencies, drones will be licensed for personal and commercial use in 2015.
Police can already use drones to locate and arrest Americans on US soil according to a court ruling last week.
“You’re being tracked routinely, without probable cause, without a warrant and without even a suspicion that you have committed a crime,” says the rights group, Partnership for Civil Justice Fund, echoing what innocent Targeted Individuals have been conveying to rights groups for years, especially since September 11, 2001.
The Washington Post says, “A flurry of activity on Capitol Hill in recent weeks has drawn even more attention to the drone industry, which can begin offering its products for commercial and private use in 2015.”
In a July spending spree, the Pentagon ordered $531 million worth of drones.
As the national debate on privacy heats up, drones plus Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) cameras, also called tag readers ensure that the government is constantly watching every citizen every minute of every day.
“Silently, but constantly, the government is now watching, recording your everyday travels and storing years of your activities in massive data warehouses that can be quickly ‘mined’ to find out when and where you have been, whom you’ve visited, meetings you’ve attended, and activities you’ve taken part in.
Rights group collected data on mass surveillance system that is collecting data on Americans
Rep. Edward J. Markey, Massachusetts Democrat is trying curb privacy violations that unmanned vehicles induce with his Drone Aircraft Privacy and Transparency Act of 2012 that would require the secretary of transportation to conduct a study of drones’ impact on privacy, and require the FAA to collect specific information on what kind of data drones will collect and how that data will be used before granting licenses.
While Rep. Ted Poe, Texas Republican, and Sen. Rand Paul, Kentucky Republican, have introduced similar bills, a rights group, Partnership for Civil Justice Fund says it’s already conducted an investigation and its findings might shock some people.
The Partnership for Civil Justice Fund investigation has uncovered a mass surveillance grid already in place in the United States, all in absence of public awareness, scrutiny, debate or oversight.
“The public has a right to know about this program – and to stop it,” PCJF stated in a mass email it sent Monday to launch its news campaign, One Nation Under Surveillance.
One Nation Under Surveillance includes a proactive website that has tools and information for Americans to take action. Citizens can start sending surveillance technology they find in their communities to PCJF that is being recorded on a map for public view.
The FAA has projected that 30,000 drones will fly American skies by 2020.
Urging the public to take action, the PCJF states, “Join with us, as part of an informed public taking action to ensure that our federal and local governments impose restrictions and regulations to ensure that ALPR and other mass surveillance technology is not implemented at the expense of our fundamental rights of privacy.”
PCJF urges citizens to write to congressional representatives and tell them the mass tracking and surveillance program against Americans is unacceptable.
“Demand the government come clean and disclose just how vast is the network.”