America is a surveillance state now. Such is the condition of many empires of late, and what happens when governments begin to lose control over their citizens as public corruptions grows and faith in the decency of a republic and really, the decency of the common man in his ability to relate with other men declines. Such happened to Rome and many other empires. America, being that she is an empire, is not exempt from the same historical processes, and while she has worked hard to resist the negative effects, they have still come against her.
Amazon.com, the famous “all you can buy” store of the Internet, has been building a massive data surveillance network using her position as a retailer, wholesaler, broker, logistics provider, and technology supplier. This has attracted the eye of the government, in which some congressmen are looking to investigate her.
In a letter to Amazon Feb. 19, Democratic Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, requested numerous documents and policies from the company, including how it partners with law enforcement agencies. The letter indicates the subcommittee is examining “traditional constitutional protections against surveilling Americans” and balancing civil liberties with security interests.
“The Subcommittee is seeking more information regarding why cities and law enforcement agencies enter into these agreements,” Krishnamoorthi said in the letter. “The answer appears to be that Ring gives them access to a much wider system of surveillance than they could build themselves, and Ring allows law enforcement access to a network of surveillance cameras on private property without the expense to taxpayers of having to purchase, install, and monitor those cameras.” (source)
People complain about the abuses of government, but one should not forget the abuses of corporate tyranny. Companies, while subject to governments, often complain about them because if given the opportunity, they would make themselves governing bodies and be no less tyrannical. Arguably, they would probably be worse, since they seek profit and do not care at all about the common man.
Amazon may be huge, but she is not invincible. One only needs to remember what happened to Standard Oil a century ago, for Amazon may go the same way in the future, and just be remembered as another footnote in the pages of history.