George Orwell wrote in his disturbing book “1984” that “Big brother is watching you.” While it may be that George Orwell was actually an optimist, he probably would turn over in his grave at what is going on now. I’m sure he never imagined the world we live in today ever coming to pass.
Orwell never lived to see the times we live in today. He never would have imagined the National Security Agency (NSA) gathering billions of phone calls and millions of text messages every day in this country. Even more frightening is that most of us don’t even know it’s happening.
Now we find out the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has gathered and equipped a small air force, with hundreds of planes and surveillance equipment, all hidden behind fictitious company names, and they are nothing more than fronts for our government, according to the Associated Press.
In a recent review, the AP reports the FBI said the more than 30 cities surveilled in 11 states in a 30-day period in April, were focused on specific, ongoing investigations. Oh, did we mention these surveillance flights were done without a court order, in most cases. As for the fake companies, the FBI says it is for the protection of the pilots and to fool suspects so they don’t know they are being watched.
Aerial surveillance represents a major shift in law enforcement tactics
While the government maintains the shift to aerial surveillance is a necessary evil in criminal, terrorism, and intelligence probes, the tactics do raise the question of just how much our civil liberties are impacted. Some people even argue these new governmental law enforcement protocols are more reminiscent of a “police state.”
The AP’s diligence in searching out the truth revealed the FBI had at least 13 fake companies, such as FVX Research, KQM Aviation, NBR Aviation and PXW Services. It was also learned that even basic information has been withheld from the public about this surveillance, with censored versions of “official reports” being put out by the Justice Department.
Here’s what the FBI has to say about this, according to a department spokesman, Christopher Allen, in a statement: “The FBI’s aviation program is not secret. Specific aircraft and their capabilities are protected for operational security purposes, and the FBI’s planes are not equipped, designed or used for bulk collection activities or mass surveillance.”
The thing is, the video surveillance also can track other unrelated criminal activities on the ground, and those activities can be handed over to prosecutors. There is also surveillance equipment that can identify thousands of people through their cell phones, even if they are not using their phones. The equipment mimics cell phone towers, and enables the FBI to get subscriber information.
The FBI also confirmed that reports of surveillance tactics date beck to 2003. One plane photographed by the AP in Northern Virginia showed the aircraft bristling with antennas, as well as a camera mounted on the left side. At about the same time, a federal document from 2010 was discovered showing 115 planes, including 90 Cessna aircraft in the FBI’s surveillance fleet.
People should be very concerned about what is going on. We actually know very little because most of it is covered up beneath a lot of governmental paperwork and blacked out sentences, leaving the public to guess at what big brother is really doing.
