James Bovard on the federal surveillance state

The federal surveillance net has vastly increased since the 1970s.  Nowadays, the feds are flagging people who purchase Bibles and “other media containing extremist views,” according to a report by the House Judiciary Committee. 

Technology is propelling new threats to freedom.  A March 2024 report by the House Judiciary Committee noted that “the decline of cash and the rise of digital payments and e-commerce platforms….  As a result, these financial institutions often act as arms of federal law enforcement as they work in coordination with federal law enforcement to identify what transactions and other information is ‘suspicious’ enough to be reported.”  Greater computer resources make it vastly cheaper to store dirt on practically any private citizen.

~ James Bovard, "Buy a Bible, Become a Terror Suspect," The Future of Freedom Foundation, August 16, 2024