Over the last decade, the Department of Homeland Security have been very busy installing countless video surveillance cameras equipped with high-definition audio recording devices. Specifically, we’ve seen more and more of these devices on public transportation vehicles, such as buses, trains, and other transit lines. Some of the U.S. cities you can find these in include San Francisco, Seattle, Eugene, Hartford, Columbus, Baltimore, and Traverse City, MI. Advances in high-definition digital audio recording technology has made it a viable addition to traditional video surveillance.
But is it legal?
U.S. Federal Law states that it is illegal to record audio of another person’s conversation in private if they have not consented to the recording. But in recent years, courts have often dismissed Fourth Amendment privacy rights, and more and more are accepting audio evidence collected “illegally.”
Many people are willing to compromise their rights to privacy in order to fight the unseen and unknown threat from terrorists. But how far are we willing to go? Local and federal government entities are pushing this limit as far as we will let them.
By outfitting buses with high-definition audio and video surveillance devices, Homeland Security is saying that anywhere you are outside of your home is considered “public.” And therefore, anything you say, to yourself or another, may be used in court against you. Some may say this is a scary concept, but as long as we the public are aware, we have a greater chance of not incriminating ourselves.
