Mass Surveillance Debate: Flock Cameras, Palantir & Big Tech

The gist

1. Lonsdale argues that surveillance systems built with audit trails and access controls from the start can reduce abuse without abandoning useful tools.
2. Selective outrage at Flock cameras while ignoring Big Tech's pervasive tracking suggests coordinated messaging rather than principled privacy positions, Lonsdale says.
3. Corporate surveillance may carry greater risk than government surveillance because companies operate outside democratic accountability structures, yet face less scrutiny.
4. Overly restrictive data regulation could undermine a productivity wave Lonsdale compares to the 1870 to 1920 industrial boom, harming America's competitive edge.