Another Assault on Privacy

I read a really good dissent today by Chief Judge Kozinski of the Ninth Circuit concerning privacy. The Ninth, has essentially said that Law Enforcement are free to bug and track citizenry via GPS. In summary he says,

I don’t think that most people in the United States would agree with the panel that someone who leaves his car parked in his driveway outside the door of his home invites people to crawl under it and attach a device that will track the vehicle’s every movement and transmit that information to total strangers. There is something creepy and un-American about such clandestine and underhanded behavior. To those of us who have lived under a totalitarian regime, there is an eerie feeling of déjà vu. This case, if any, deserves the comprehensive, mature and diverse consideration that an en banc panel can provide. We are taking a giant leap into the unknown, and the consequences for ourselves and our children may be dire and irreversible. Some day, soon, we may wake up and find we’re living in Oceania.

This is really a great read from beginning to end and makes staying informed painless (apart from agony at the loss of freedom). When it comes to civil liberties I believe that a constant vigilance on the part of an informed citizenry is the only way to maintain what we have. You can read about this on the Ninth Circuit Blog or view the dissent (in PDF format) here [PDF].