Connections: 9/11 was a big turning point in sacrificing privacy for national security. While there are differing opinions on whether this was the best decision or not, being completely off the grid identity-wise is a thing of the past.
Google tracks the locations of cellphone users across the United States. Law enforcement increasingly uses this database (called “Sensorvault”) as part of trying to solve crimes.
But, innocent people are sometimes targeted–arrested and jailed. Is this collateral damage acceptable? Is it okay to victimize the innocent in the pursuit of the guilty? Would it be okay if it happened to you? Is there any privacy left in America? Do we care?
Read the article (Jennifer Valentino-DeVries, New York Times, 13 April 2019).