Little Brother Is iWatching

The LAPD has just released a commercial supporting it's anti terrorism iWatch program, which it defines as “a way to report suspicious behavior or activity that relates to terrorism”. Concerns were expressed by the ACLU about the program inciting racial and religious profiling. Racial and Religious stereotyping are apparent within the commercial, but many people are just put off by it's creepy tone. The commercial merits airing based on the need to inform both proactive anti-terrorist citizens and future Anti-iWatch supporters. The iWatch program has sparked much controversy.

"We can and must work together to prevent terrorist attacks," reads an announcement from the Los Angeles Police Department on the iWatch Web site.

Conspiracy theorists may be quick to point out that setting up an internal surveillance system is a step to fascism, according to Namomi Wolf's 10 steps to fascism.

Authorities point to Najibullah Zazi, a 24 year old Afghanistan citizen who tried to make a homemade explosive using ingredients from beauty supplies purchased at Denver-area stores. Zazi has been jailed in New York on charges of conspiracy to detonate a weapon of mass destruction in a plot that may have targeted New York City. Zazi has refuted the charges and told an inquiring clerk he needed a large amount of cosmetic chemicals because he had "lots of girlfriends." This incident was exposed to authorities without the use of iWatch.

American Civil Liberties Union policy counsel Mike German, a former FBI agent who worked on terrorism cases, said the indicators are all relatively common behaviors.

Another reasonable objection to a nation wide iWatch would be the expense of investigating every single claim made by hyper-helpers who pine to be in the spotlight they are willing to risk the accusing the innocent.

Another reasonable argument supporting the program is that iWatch is certain to uncover some misdeed at some time.

The question remains: is it better to have people call the authorities direct when noting suspicious terrorist activities or should there be an external force encouraging people to actively look for and report suspicious terrorists activities?

Soon it may be time for you decide how you feel about iWatch.