Surveillance

I DVRed Obama's news conference this week regarding Russia, Putin, Snowden, as well as U.S. Surveillance of Americans both here in the U.S. and Abroad.

My thoughts on surveillance are this: If you record ANY surveillance whether it be video, sound, pictures, email, texts or other kinds of surveillance, you then have a record of whatever it is for as long (hundreds or thousands of years). And because of this you have potential information to "Blackmail" anyone at any time (even a descendent or other friend or family member). This means that any thing someone does or says when they believe they are in private becomes potential public knowledge which could be embarrassing or worse for individuals and families worldwide.

Also, this information could be sold by individuals in governments to corporations, companies or individuals or groups for literally ANY price to almost any legal or illegal end. So, even though what Obama says is reassuring we all know that there are people (both inside and outside of government) who would be willing  (for a price) to sell literally ANY information about anyone at any time in any place.

But here is another thought. What will stop people also from forging information about people that could be in the form of videos, emails, texts or whatever as well? Staged or forged surveillance these days could potentially be just as good as the real thing.

For example, just look at some of the stars or politicians heads put on someone else's body on the internet. Some of those things are done so well most people couldn't tell the difference.