The Daily Dot
"What soft surveillance looks like": Lawyer explains 6 signs that might mean yo…
"Snowden affirmed this almost 15 years ago on a global platform."
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Uncharged and Under Watch: Understanding the Signs of Government Surveillance
A recent online video by 'Rebuild With Ryan' has shed light on the concept of government watchlists and "soft surveillance," suggesting that individuals can be monitored without ever being charged with a crime. The content creator, an ex-felon with a J.D., explains that these lists are not exclusively for terrorists or fugitives but are used for "predictive policing" to monitor people preemptively. According to the video, individuals might find themselves on such lists through associations with people under investigation, attending certain protests, having specific search histories, or being identified via facial recognition scans and metadata. This process, termed "non-investigative subject status," involves quiet surveillance logged in systems like the Terrorist Screening Database or funnelled through fusion centers, without charges or warrants. The video outlines six potential indicators that one might be under surveillance: experiencing extra screening at airports even with TSA PreCheck, receiving missing or damaged mail (particularly legal paperwork or FOIA requests), noticing unmarked vehicles near their home without direct contact, having friends, family, or coworkers quietly approached and questioned, suddenly losing access to certain government systems like IRS identity verification or student aid, and finding their online content restricted or flagged without explanation. The creator emphasizes that this quiet tracking, pattern recognition, and data fusion continue until authorities decide to escalate the situation. The video aims to inform the public about these less overt forms of government monitoring.
