UK Councils Deploy Drones, Suddenly Cares About Surveillance
More than 60 UK councils are now deploying drones, triggering hand-wringing about a 'spy in the sky' and privacy. (Fox News - World) This sudden concern for civic privacy is almost touching, if not entirely selective. One might wonder if this newfound outrage extends to, say, the UK's extensive history with the 'Five Eyes' intelligence alliance, or its enthusiastic participation in global
surveillance programs like Project Tempora, exposed by Edward Snowden in 2013 ( The Guardian ). It appears 'Big Brother' is only truly problematic when he's wearing a local council badge. The British government, which has for decades helped surveil populations globally—often to devastating effect—now finds itself critiquing its own 'spy in the sky.' Perhaps the outrage isn't about surveillance
itself, but the inconvenience of being surveilled by one's own local bureaucracy rather than just, you know, everyone else. The irony is as thick as a London fog.