As if the burgeoning U.S. surveillance
state isn’t yet obtrusive and unconstitutional enough, recent reports indicate
that federal law enforcement, in conjunction with courts, have issued orders to
Alphabet/Google to identify everyone who is watching certain livestreams or
videos on YouTube.
Of course, the feds purport to utilize
this information only in legitimate ongoing criminal investigations. However, their
recent track record makes this claim doubtful at best.
While I detest social media in general,
the monitoring of online activities and pressuring
of social media companies is getting out of hand, as evidenced by the Biden
administration pressuring Facebook to censor disfavored content in the lead up
to the last election. I envision scenes such as the following:
Fed:
“Mr. Jones, on or about the night of December 9, 2023, did you or did you not take
to YouTube to watch a Jason Aldean video titled ‘Try That in A Small Town?’”
Mr.
Jones: “I confess I did, but only because I was so repulsed by the white,
racist, patriarchal, Christian Nationalist message!”
Fed:
“Do you know who Morgan Wallen is?”
Mr.
Jones; “WHO?!”
Fed:
“Nice try. Mr. Jones, you now have two options. One, you can make a full public
apology. Or, two, you can attend a 6-week re-education camp.”
*********************
Fed:
“Mr. Smith, why did you watch the video of Tucker Carlson interviewing Tulsi
Gabbard?”
Mr.
Smith: “I—I didn’t. I swear!”
Fed:
“Mr. Smith…we have ways of knowing such things, so please don’t lie to us-- or things
will quickly get, shall we say, ‘unpleasant,’ for you.”
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