The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has a new definition of “reasonable expectation.” According to the justices, it’s no longer reasonable to assume that what you type into Google is yours to keep.
In a decision that reads like a love letter to the surveillance economy, the court ruled that police were within their rights to access a convicted rapist’s search history without a warrant. The reasoning is that everyone knows they’re being watched anyway.
The opinion, issued Tuesday, leaned on the idea that the public has already surrendered its privacy to Silicon Valley.
We obtained a copy of the ruling for you here.
I see that this is a case by case basis for convicted rapist/sex offenders. While the implications of this ruling can definitely used by other gov officials to make the case that everyone’s search records are deemed public. It looks like they are eroding privacy rights against convicts who are already in public registries. Which I can easily see them jumping from convicted felons to non convicted citizens who they deem sexual offenders, the gay and queer community. None of this looks good but we still have a chance to protest this ruling while we still have rights, msg your local representatives and demand they protect the privacy rights of the convicted.
I’m reminded of that proverb: They came after the people of color but because I’m white I did not stand up, they came after the queers but because I’m not queer I did not stand up, they came after women but because I’m not a woman I did not stand up, they came after me but everyone was already locked up and no one defended me.
How long and how much bullshit do we take before we revolt?
“everyone knows they’re being watched anyway”
With Google searches, this is just a statement of fact.
It doesn’t matter and most people don’t think about this as bad as it sounds. This is bullshit and yes it is a rapist this time, but it well trickle down or up to everyone else.
