Vigilance needed
Opportunists leverage crisis to erode civil liberties
Managing a public health crisis like COVID-19 requires compromise. For weeks now, much of the country has been under lockdown, kept inside their homes and forced to wear masks when venturing outdoors. These sacrifices have placed the country on a path toward reopening and recovery.
But the pandemic has also motivated opportunistic organizations — such as the Westport Police Department in Connecticut — to try and deploy intrusive policies and operations that are ripe for exploitation and abuse well after the crisis is over.
Last month, the Westport police announced a plan to use drones to monitor the community. The drone would track social distancing, as well as detect potential fevers and coughs by analyzing people’s heat signatures.
The proposal was met with widespread outcry from Westport residents and advocates for civil liberties and privacy.
While acknowledging the need for tools that mitigate the COVID-19 crisis, the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut argued that “any new surveillance measure that isn’t being advocated for by public health professionals and restricted solely for public health use should be promptly rejected.”
Privacy experts also noted that the drones, once operational, could be retrofitted with the ability to perform facial recognition or read license plates.
The public is willing to temporarily sacrifice some liberties to protect the health of fellow citizens, but an air force for Big Brother is a bridge too far.
The Westport police wisely backed off the drone proposal, but it is hardly the only organization weighing intrusive technologies and policies during this unprecedented moment in American history.
Much like in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, people are susceptible to fear and a desire for safety. After that tragedy nearly two decades ago, the U.S. government seized the moment to enact surveillance programs and use parallel court systems, such as FISA. At the time, this seemed like a fair price to pay for national security. But, in hindsight, these programs had little to do with security and have resulted in the permanent erosion of civil liberties. Once the people cede their liberty, it is nearly impossible to recover.
That lesson is essential during the country’s current crisis. Medical experts and public health officials have asked the people to make specific, temporary sacrifices for the welfare of the country. Those requests should be respected.
But people must be vigilant for proposals that go further, serving a limited purpose (or no purpose) in the present crisis with the potential for future abuse. The people of Westport displayed such awareness. The rest of the country should heed their example.