Several years ago, when President Obama visited the Tri-State, my co-worker Jaclyn and I were sent to cover his speech. I had a bag with me that held my laptop and some recording equipment. I went in with the media, and when I got to the Secret Service agents, I was about to hand over my backpack for a search. They sent me through without any fuss and told me, “We already know who you are.”
At the time I thought, “Well, I had to preregister as media, so they probably did a background check or something,” but the more I thought about it, the more it creeped me out. I was within spitting distance of the President of the United States. They don’t take chances. They didn’t just run a background check. They knew me. And they labeled me as “safe enough that we don’t even need to check her stuff.”
This was long before widespread Flock cameras, Ring doorbells, and facial recognition cameras. Working at a local radio cluster feels like small potatoes, but when I got an out-of-the-blue personal invitation to the current administration’s inauguration, it sealed the deal that the government really does know little old me, and that is kind of unnerving. For the record, I didn’t go. I would rather stay out of government business if at all possible.
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Every Move We Make Is Tracked and Recorded
Now, if you think you can escape the ever-watching eye, think again. Every move we make is tracked and recorded. I’ve noticed a feature on my phone that has recorded my patterns, and when I get in the car to go somewhere, it gives me a brief rundown of my upcoming journey, including traffic info, weather, and an ETA…