Since 9-11 the dwindling right to privacy has become so common that most Americans don’t even notice when it’s gone.  Trading liberty for security cost something and that cost is privacy.  As more and more of our rights get taken away we hear the justification that it’s “for our own good” or we hear the recrimination “honest people have nothing to hide“.  However, it’s one thing to voluntarily give your privacy – as many do when they reveal private details of their life in social media – and it’s another to have it violated by the government, corporations or individuals.

Privacy on social media – do we even care?

Google’s iPhone Tracking

8 Tips to Keep Social Media Information Private

There are some who believe that privacy is a Constitutional right but they would be wrong.

The Right To Privacy – The Constitution does not specifically mention a right to privacy. However, Supreme Court decisions over the years have established that the right to privacy is a basic human right, and as such is protected by virtue of the 9th Amendment. The right to privacy has come to the public’s attention via several controversial Supreme Court rulings, including several dealing with contraception (the Griswold and Eisenstadt cases), interracial marriage (the Loving case), and abortion (the well-known Roe v Wade case). In addition, it is said that a right to privacy is inherent in many of the amendments in the Bill of Rights, such as the 3rd, the 4th’s search and seizure limits, and the 5th’s self-incrimination limit.

In a recent blog entitled They’re watching you Neo… we covered all the ways that Big Brother has the means to keep an “eye” on you.  Apparently it’s not something they want you to know. Feds hide data on domestic use of drones Or, that they have the capability of using an unmanned drone to watched an area the size of small town with a drone called the Gorgon Stare.  Or, better yet, that they can keep an “eye” on the home front (four must see videos here) with drones the size of a toy plane.

What happens when these surveillance drones leave the federal hands and find their way into private hands?  Privacy is at even greater risk with no federal guidelines limiting their actions.  And, there is always the possibility of (cue Star Wars music) a drone war!

Increased use of ‘personal drones’ needs urgent regulation

New Pandora’s box of ‘personal’ drones that could stalk anyone from Brangelina to your own child

Animal rights group says drone shot down

Psst, I HERF it through the grapevine that this risk has been considered since 2004!

What happens when you give up freedoms (such as privacy) for security?

To help you keep an “eye” on those keeping an “eye” on you (natural and supernatural) we are leaving the LIGHT on!  (makes it harder for them to hide!)