Is the Internet COINTELPRO, revisited?
Key figures in the black lives matter movement sided with Apple in the ongoing dispute between the company and the FBI. They submitted a letter to the federal court stating that their civil liberties and privacy must be protected. They referenced the FBI’s history of domestic surveillance, specifically citing the COINTELPRO program as evidence that the FBI cannot be trusted with a backdoor key. For those who may not know, COINTELPRO was an FBI program started in the mid-fifties; designed to spy on communists, and expanded to various domestic organizations: Ku Klux Klan, Black Panthers, and the Young Lords. They bugged hotels, homes, and even had FBI informants. The purpose was to subvert, destroy and extinguish these progressive ideas.
And it could happen again.
The only difference between now and then: the infiltration is more invasive and ubiquitous.
In the sixties, the data was discrete items: the images, audio and tapes. I am sure majority of this material sits in a government warehouse. The data they collect now is unlimited. As we enter the Internet of Things age, data will be abundant. Potentially, sensors will be everywhere. Ordinary household items will become gateways for surveillance: your TV, your Keurig, your toilet– even your clothes. If it sounds scary, don’t worry – it is. But to be fair, just because it has the potential to happen, doesn’t mean it will happen.
With groups like the ACLU and movements like Black Lives Matter supporting Apple, the door is opened for greater dialogue around protection of civil liberties. The push back will help set a precedent to challenge these types of intrusions. As the internet continues to expand and technology becomes even embedded in our society, the rules must be re-written on government boundaries. It will become easier to snoop, spy, and enemize people. Kudos to the civil liberties front-line who recognize that data is critical to our fight for a better future.
image courtesy of socialactive.
















