First, They Spied On Protesters. Then Churches. You’re Next…

[pipedreams]

“I know the capability that is there to make tyranny total in America, and we must see to it that this agency and all agencies that possess this technology operate within the law and under proper supervision, so that we never cross over that abyss. That is the abyss from which there is no return.”—Senator Frank Church on Meet The Press, 1975

"This particular slippery slope has to do with the government’s use of geofence technology, which uses cell phone location data to identify people who are in a particular area at any given time.

First, police began using geofence warrants to carry out dragnet sweeps of individuals near a crime scene.

Then the FBI used geofence warrants to identify individuals who were in the vicinity of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

It wasn’t long before government officials in California used cell phone and geofence data to track the number and movements of churchgoers on church grounds during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

If we’ve already reached the point where people praying and gathering on church grounds merits this level of government scrutiny and sanctions, we’re not too far from free-falling into a total surveillance state."

https://www.technocracy.news/whitehead-first-they-spied-on-protesters-then-churches-youre-next/
https://www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/john_whiteheads_commentary/geofence_surveillance_first_they_spied_on_protesters_then_churches_youre_next

"Relying on selfies, social media posts, location data, geotagged photos, facial recognition, surveillance cameras and crowdsourcing, government agents compiled a massive data trove on anyone and everyone who may have been anywhere in the vicinity of the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Included in that data roundup were individuals who may have had nothing to do with the protests but whose cell phone location data identified them as being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

You didn’t even have to be involved in the Capitol protests to qualify for a visit from the FBI: investigators reportedly tracked—and questioned—anyone whose cell phones connected to wi-fi or pinged cell phone towers near the Capitol.

One man, who had gone out for a walk with his daughters only to end up stranded near the Capitol crowds, actually had FBI agents show up at his door days later. Using Google Maps, agents were able to pinpoint exactly where they were standing and for how long."

[El Spicoli]

They have been spying us on awhile.  Modern technology just makes it so much easier.

[pipedreams]

If your going to attend any political event or protest it might be best to leave your cell phone home or turn it off and put it in a RDIF bag.  VPN will show your IP address somewhere else but the GPS will still tell your true physical location.  If you want pictures use an old fashion camera. Just use good common sense.

[Mrs.Cicero]

The more I read about the gov't's desire to ban TikTok, the more I think it's because the Chinese are harvesting all that data and the US Governannies are angry they can't access it.   I hate TIk Tok.  I think anyone with an account is a freaking traitor who doesn't give a rat's ass about this nation as long as they get their "follower fix". But having said that, I think the bill as it currently reads is seriously problematic.  It gives our demented fruitcake of a gov't even more power than it already has, and that...is... a REALLY BAD THING.  Maybe more of a bad thing than the commies being able to infect all the TikTok phones and steal all the financial info and then all the money of the people not smart enough to avoid the app.  Just thinking about this...

[GT4494]

Just need too realize "do you really need a phone that bad"?  If so don't do a google, apple or Droid.   Get a phone with shut off switches or at a minimum one the battery comes out.  You have no protection from search and seizure since the feds aren't tracking you.  You phone is and no one at a cell provider will turn down a fed request for metadata... 

It boils down to ourselves being lazy and not caring about privacy...

[Valmet]