CDR: Re: police IR searches to Supremes

[Michael Motyka]

>
>On Wed, 27 Sep 2000, Richard Fiero wrote:
>
>>One could argue that all electromagnetic radiation is in the public
>>domain and receivable. However it is illegal to have equipment capable
>>of receiving cell phone conversations because the rights of the
>>telephone company and the rights of the conversants could be violated.
>
>That is one part of legislation I find completely unbelievable. I view it as
>a case of people having far too high expectations of privacy which shouldn't
>be kept up artificially.
>
>Sampo Syreeni <decoy at iki.fi>, aka decoy, student/math/Helsinki university
>
No expectation of privacy is too high. Just as the police are
"artificially" allowed to spy on people by being funded through public
monies that allow them manpower and equipment, they can be
"artificially" commanded to piss off. One artifice deserves another.

Allowing selective use of technology does seem to be a bad idea - it's
usually the authorities who are selected as allowed and anyone else
incarcerated after being economically destroyed. If we allow IR imaging
without restriction there will be legal precendents required and even
some economic benefits.

The fact of a higher than average electric bill or a heat source unlike
heat sources in similar buildings must be found to be evidence of
nothing beyond the use of electricity and subsequent generation of heat.
Zero justification for a search warrant.

The benny will be a whole new industry to make clothing with a high
metallic content. This would also work as a counter to the mm wave
imaging that has been around since the 80's and seems to be going
mainstream.

Mike