Many Unanswered Questions About ‘Feds Monitoring, Detaining Drivers’

Sometimes the best truth in a newspaper can be found in its Letters to the Editor.This is what happened in today’s (Dec.2) LA Times where a reader raised needed and serious questions about a recent news article about the “Feds monitoring, detaining drivers,” that was published in the Times on Nov. 21 — with a similar story being published in the Rag that same day, with the headline, “The Border Patrol Is Monitoring the Driving of American Citizens — Detaining Those With ‘Suspicious’ Patterns.” It’s such a crazy and frightening story that none of our readers raised questions or commented. But Charles Petithomme of Burbank had the nerve to do so with the Times. Here, below is his letter in full.

Re “Feds monitoring, detaining drivers,” Nov. 21

What a frightening story that leaves so many unanswered questions.

Questions about who is being pulled over: Was the system tested before being made operational? Does the targeting algorithm have built-in biases? What is the racial composition of the people being surveilled? What is the conviction rate of those being surveilled?

Questions about oversight: Were members of Congress informed of this system? Who is providing oversight of the system? Why was the American public not informed?

Questions about data collection and AI: Are the databases that are being populated with raw data from the license-plate readers vulnerable to hacking? Can a given license plate provide access to other databases with more information about the registered owner of that vehicle? How is AI being used to find targets?

Questions about the money trail: What companies are involved with the design and operation of the system? Who is making money on it?

The list of unanswered questions could go on and on. One thing is certain: Because the system has existed under both political parties, both are complicit in creating a surveillance state.

However, it is especially worrisome now that we have a wannabe dictator at the helm who is hellbent on waging war against immigrants.

Charles Petithomme – Burbank

Thank you, Charles. We all need to get answers to these questions.