GOVERNMENT CAN USE TECHNOLOGY TO LESSEN PRIVACY

The U.S. Supreme Court recently put the brakes on police departments
seeking to use heat sensing cameras to detect marijuana plants growing
inside someone's house. The court said police must have a search warrant
before they can use technology that lets them see what is going on inside a
person's home.

But new technology is spurring all sorts of government initiatives to keep
track of people.

- -- About 60 communities now use cameras to catch people running red lights.
As more equipment becomes available, more want to sign on, including some
in Trumbull County.

- -- The National Park Service is testing a program that uses a combination
of radar and cameras to catch speeders on park roads.

In theory, this sounds good.

But the price in terms of lost privacy is very, very steep.