Big Brother is Watching

Most students have read George Orwell's 1984 by the time they've graduated. And if they remember only one thing from the novel, it's most likely that Big Brother is watching.  One of Orwell's purposes in his writing was to express his concern in technology's "enabling oppressive governments to monitor and control their citizens."  It's somewhat ironic that in the world today, people are legitimately asking questions regarding privacy and the government.  No longer are we simply reading 1984, but we are beginning to explore similarities and differences between the fiction and nonfiction.

So when does the obsession for security overtake the desire for privacy?  Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court heard United States vs. Jones, a case regarding policemen in the D.C. area planting a GPS device in a citizen's car, suspecting him to be a drug dealer.  On November 8, the Court will determine whether or not the government's planting these GPS trackers violates the 4th amendment.  Moreover, they will decide if these chips will be implanted in every future vehicle.  Many Americans are concerned by how much personal information will be available if these accessories are permitted. As Catherine Crump stated in the ACLU's "Blog of Rights": 

The Court has the opportunity in this case to safeguard Fourth Amendment privacy protections in the face of technological advances.  Police surveillance using GPS technology raises significant privacy concerns. 

But these car devices are not the only way in which the government can follow someone.  In fact, 96% of Americans already carry around a personal tracking device on a daily basis--the cell phone.  So why all the concern for GPS chips in cars if an equivalent already exist in something we're practically glued to?  While each individual carries his own opinion, the decision made in the November case will certainly have a huge impact on citizen privacy within the United States.