The Court of Appeal in The Hague has ordered the Dutch government to substantiate why the invasion of privacy caused by license plate recognition is necessary in a democratic society. The Court of Appeal in The Hague ruled this today in an interim decision in a case brought against the Dutch government by the Privacy First Foundation. According to Privacy First, the Dutch ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) legislation violates European privacy law.
6 Likes
How else are we going to constantly surveil our citizens’ every move?!
1 Like
The answer is this:
Full title: Billionaire Larry Ellison says a vast AI-fueled surveillance system can ensure ‘citizens will be on their best behavior’
Larry Ellison from Oracle is a lawnmower, so no surprise he’s all about the panopticon.
At first I thought “Wow, this guy is cynical.”, but it looks like he is dead serious…
In case people are unaware, there is an often referred to phenomenon called “Hawthorne Effect”, which describes people altering their behavior when knowing they are being watched.
Imagine you have a bad habit like picking your nose, or a guilty pleasure like being an adult who likes to play with action figures.
Now imagine there is a camera pointed at you or someone stands next to you. Do you still pick your nose or play with action figures?
No, you wouldn’t. You’d be frowned upon. In case you missed it or simply agreed with the descriptors, a bad habit or a guilty pleasure are even inherently negative.
What many might not realize, this effect can be translated to mass surveillance.
It is widely assumed mass surveillance just rules out bad behavior, but in the above scenarios you even force people to conform and rob them of personality, despite them not doing anything reprehensible.
2 Likes