Submitted by Sovereign Man Explorer
This Week's Intelligence
Senate bill would ban federal use of facial recognition systems
What happened:
That means unless a government agency or bureau is specifically authorized by Congress, they cannot deploy real time facial recognition surveillance or use it to identify people in photos and video later.
The bill would also keep certain federal funds from city and state law enforcement who use biometric surveillance, like facial recognition.
What this means:
Facial recognition technology is too easy to abuse. The government is supposed to go through due process before investigating citizens.
Even just learning the identity of someone is supposed to require reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed.
But facial recognition is a pre-emptive “search” revealing the identity of anyone on camera.
And in addition to the due process concerns, facial recognition is a good way to quell dissent and protest from anyone afraid of being identified and targeted by the government for speaking out.
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Colorado Police Reform bill on its way to ending qualified immunity
What happened:
A bill has passed the Colorado Senate which would end qualified immunity in the state.
If the bill becomes law, it would mean police could be sued and charged for crimes they commit while acting in their official capacity as police officers.
The bill also requires officers to intervene if a colleague is committing a crime or face possible charges themselves.
It also permanently strips officers of their certification to be police officers if they are convicted or plead guilty to any excessive force violations.
What this means:
Qualified immunity is the legal doctrine that protects police from legal consequences if they claim they thought their actions were legal and necessary to do their job.
To hold police accountable essentially requires a matching precedent that says a specific behavior or incident of brutality is not protected.
Ending qualified immunity is a good first step towards holding police to the same legal standards as everyone else.
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New Mexico Supreme Court says governments can snoop bank records
What happened:
The third party doctrine is used by the federal government to spy on anyone they want without a warrant.
The idea is once a citizen gives information to a third party like a bank or internet provider, they have voluntarily given it away.
The New Mexico Supreme Court just extended that power to state governments.
So now it isn’t just the feds who can dig through your records without a warrant. State agencies and grand juries can do the same.
What this means:
Genius. The government forces banks to collect information on customers. And that means the customers have “voluntarily” handed that information to the bank.
So of course then the bank can “voluntarily” give your information to the government.
Of course this is all absurd mental gymnastics which trample the intention of privacy protections.
But this is how the government operates. And little hole in your rights will be exploited, until the right no longer exists at all.
Biological male wins vote for Female District Leader in New York City
What happened:
For about 100 years, the Democratic Party in New York City has elected one male and one female party leader in each district.
This is not a government position, but an unpaid internal party role. It was a feminist idea to allow women to gain a foothold in politics.
But now a biological male identifying as a woman has been elected to the Female District Leader position in Queens, New York City.
For the first time since the position was created, the district will have no natural born female representation in the party.
What this means:
We are into freedom. Frankly, what someone wants to do with their own body is their own business.
But it’s hard to ignore the effects this has on natural born women with an XX chromosome.
Feminists have long been warning that the gender issue would meld into a sex issue, and women would lose protections in areas like competitive sports, and privacy.
Apparently, all it takes to be a woman is to declare it.
