Government

‘Wake Up and Smell the Unrest’: Experts Say ‘TrapWire’ Surveillance Overhyped But It Raises Important Civil Liberties Issues

Experts Weigh in on TrapWire, Surveillance Society and the Government Preparing for Civil Unrest(Image: Shutterstock)

Recent doomsday reports alluding to an extensive government spying network and a fictional scenario in which domestic insurrection was crushed by the military have created a wealth of media hype and speculation, but they also raise valid questions of how to address these civil liberties issues before they become a reality.

Experts are saying the advanced surveillance systems revealed recently by Wikileaks isn’t quite as pervasive as reports might have you believe — yet. And an extremist uprising scenario posed by the Small Wars Journal is merely a work of fiction — for now. Still, both are possibilities that these experts say should be taken seriously and evaluated in terms of the philosophical and legal challenges that technological advances will present for the government and law enforcement.

The debate was stoked recently by the Small Wars Journal with a report on July 25 assessing how the U.S. may need to prepare for domestic challenges such as “extremist militia motivated by the goals of the ‘tea party’ movement” taking over a South Carolina town, requiring military intervention to quash the uprising. The scaremongering continued last week with a report by Wikileaks, claiming to have the scoop on “Trapwire” – an extensive system of surveillance software — complete with allegedly leaked emails that could lead one to believe the government had access to a host of spying cameras across the nation.

But just how concerned should you be about TrapWire’s facial recognition technology and the potential for Big Brother recording your every move? TheBlaze spoke with technology and military experts about TrapWire and the feasibility of surveillance technology such as this monitoring to the extent that has been speculated.

As a bit of background, Friday afternoon, TheBlaze reported Wikileaks had unleashed news of a surveillance program that used equipment “more accurate than modern facial recognition technology.” This technology by the Virginia-based company TrapWire is meant to track suspicious activity at high-profile locations, which range from military bases to the White House to casinos and hotels in Las Vegas. The emails and several media reports allege that through this technology the “U.S. government is secretly spying on everyone,” as the Daily Mail put it.

Experts Weigh in on TrapWire, Surveillance Society and the Government Preparing for Civil Unrest

A screenshot of the Virginia-based company TrapWire's website.

Scot MacTaggart, the regional director of PSX, Inc., who heads up security engineering for the property surveillance company, said he considers the emails regarding TrapWire’s technology overhyped “marketing-speak.” MacTaggart said facial recognition technology is still largely a failure that is only 60-7o percent accurate. This lack of accuracy, he said, is not good enough for serious applications of the technology.

“I find it hard to believe they could radically improve the facial recognition technology,” MacTaggart said, citing the fact that the idea has been around for decades and still isn’t being used in many applications.

He also noted the extreme bandwidth that would be needed to transfer the large amount of data picked up by the cameras and the need for a “tremendous” data center to store it. Ray Cavanagh, a vice president for the firm Crescent Guardian, Inc., expressed similar thoughts and said managing the amount of data would be “unfathomable.”

“Where would a respository of data like this sit?” Cavanagh said, also noting that he too considered facial recognition software still in its infancy. “Even if there were one, it would have to be updated continually.”

Experts Weigh in on TrapWire, Surveillance Society and the Government Preparing for Civil Unrest

A cctv security system showing multiple camera views at a hotel. (Image: Shutterstock)

Dan Stynchula, a consultant for AEgis Technology Group, also said that he realizes the facial recognition technology isn’t perfect, but he believes the data center to house this information could very well be one owned by the government.

A data center large enough to store all this, Stynchula speculates is the one under construction by the National Security Agency in Utah. Although he acknowledges this is assumptive, he calls it an “informed hypothetical.”

Where does Stynchula think storage of this information could lead?

“A system like this could generate a large stream of revenue,” he said, pointing out that constant surveillance could record a variety of offenses, identify the person via facial recognition and send them a fine in the mail. But looking down the road, the infrastructure set up to monitor people becomes more disconcerting, Stynchula said, when you think of changing views toward protection of civil liberties. He noted that with centers storing this data, it could open the door for retrospective prosecution.

On the other hand, Cavanagh said for those who are concerned about privacy from surveillance technology, “I would ask them if they’ve ever shopped online.” He points out that people were concerned about privacy with regard to online shopping as well but now many use it.

“People need to recognize that technology is not the evil here,” Cavanagh said. “Can technology be used for evil purposes? Of course. Technology is not inherently evil though. We need to look at how we can harness it to make the world a better place.”

Overall, Stynchula said these reports at least serve the purpose of starting the conversation in society.

“Where do we as a society want to draw the line?” Stynchula questioned. “What will we allow these agencies to do outside the Constitution?”

With regard to the fictional scenario of extremists taking over in South Carolina, this was presented in an article published in the well-respected Small Wars Journal titled “Full Spectrum Operations in the Homeland: A ‘Vision’ of the Future.” The authors are retired Army Col. Kevin Benson of the Army’s University of Foreign Military and Cultural Studies at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., and Jennifer Weber, a Civil War expert at the University of Kansas.

The article imagines a extreme members of the Tea Party taking control of Darlington, S.C. in May 2016, “occupying City Hall, disbanding the city council and placing the mayor under house arrest.” The rebels also set up checkpoints on Interstate 95 and Interstate 20 patrolling for people in the United States illegally.

The article has been criticized by many. The Washington Times, for example, called it a “cartoonish and needlessly provocative scenario“ that ”is a choppy patchwork of doctrinal jargon and liberal nightmare.”

Sill, combining this fictional scenario with the recent leak regarding TrapWire, the government having a network in place to sense civil unrest before a situation like this were to take place seems to go hand-in-hand.

Brandon Webb who operates the website SOFREP (the Special Operations Forces Report) and is a former Navy SEAL told TheBlaze setting up systems like this to thwart terrorist attacks are a valid necessity, provided “strict privacy laws that prohibit the unauthorized spying on American citizens” are followed.

In terms of a civil uprising, here’s what Webb wrote:

I think that there is a legitimate concern that an “Occupy” type of movement could gain serious traction and there are some in government who worry that it will not be quite as peaceful. The article in the Small Wars Journal titled “Full Spectrum Operations in the Homeland: A ‘Vision’ of the Future.” talks about civilian insurrection and a military response. This is very troubling to hear as a citizen and veteran who has served in combat to protect civil liberties. Especially concerning is that SOFREP has received and confirmed anonymous reports that the U.S. Military and Private Military Companies (PMC’s) were used offensively during the Katrina disaster and riots. This is unacceptable in my view.

He continued saying that while the government “needs to wake up and smell the unrest,” it needs to look at why people are unhappy and start taking care of people’s concerns.” He said, if “we ignore this too long … we’ll have our own version of the Arab Spring, albeit a more peaceful “Tea Party version, I imagine.”

TheBlaze’s Jason Howerton contributed to this report. 

Featured images via Shutterstock. 

This post has been updated to correct the spelling of Ray Cavanagh’s last name. 

Comments (35)

  • PhineasJWhoopee
    Posted on August 15, 2012 at 4:03pm

    The extreme Marxist revolutionaries known as the obama regime have already declared war on the citizens of the US.

    Report Post » PhineasJWhoopee  
  • Ne_FAL
    Posted on August 15, 2012 at 12:20pm

    Actually Elkslayer being armed is only a very small part of what terrifies to govt.class. What truly makes them want to pee in their pants is that more & more Americans are waking up to the corruption ,abuse of power , criminal stupidity & the go along to get along /you scratch my back & I’ll scratch yours attitude . More & more citizens are getting involved & they are tipping over the govt.class apple cart putting politicians out of office instead of having them retire with the money from the reelection campaign bank account as golden parachute. That is what scares the politicians & govt flunkies.

    Report Post »  
    • IsThereADifference
      Posted on August 15, 2012 at 1:13pm

      Society will not draw a line. We keep putting progressive politicians into the most powerful positions in here. They vote for laws like CISPA and NDAA. Progressives like Paul Ryan voted in favor of these. So no I don’t think Americans will crawl out of their stupor fast enough to stop programs like this.

      Report Post » IsThereADifference  
    • AintLIBSjuzGreat
      Posted on August 15, 2012 at 1:30pm

      “Those who would trade liberty for security deserve neither security nor liberty”

      Report Post »  
  • elkslayer
    Posted on August 15, 2012 at 10:07am

    The reason they are afraid of tea party is because we are armed.

    Report Post » elkslayer  
  • Conserving Ink
    Posted on August 15, 2012 at 6:58am

    At first I was thinking “But where are they going to get all the photos to build a face recognition database from?” Then I realized that every picture of me on Facebook has been tagged by the friend or family member who posted it. Zuckerberg has zuckered us good.

    Report Post » Conserving Ink  
    • Ne_FAL
      Posted on August 15, 2012 at 12:27pm

      Try looking at your drivers license sometime . Kids in school now get photo id’s hell cops are going around to shopping malls & libraries & schools fingerprinting children & telling parents it’s to protect the children from perverts. Only problem is finger prints are only used to ID corpses or suspects of a crime. The government has a enemy & it is you.

      Report Post »  
    • epicwinofgod
      Posted on August 19, 2012 at 3:42am

      Yup, I had this exact same thought about a year ago and began to realize it would only be a matter of time before prying eyes looked into tapping it as a resource. I stopped using mine quite some time ago, though I have not had enough desire to delete my account knowing that cloud type computer systems can store numerous copies of everything on your profile from several locations. Look at Wikileaks… the gov could not remove it because it was on a cloud. The theory is that anything ever put into a hard drive can be retrieved.

      Report Post » epicwinofgod  
  • charleyrocks
    Posted on August 15, 2012 at 3:29am

    The danger I see is to women. These guys can watch them come and go, and with all the nuts running around in the usa, I would say there is danger.

    Report Post » charleyrocks  
  • TheBurningTruth
    Posted on August 14, 2012 at 9:47pm

    Truth be told, I quit reading when they started dragging in the Tea Party. At that point I knew it was a Progressive Liberal attack article. If we need protection from anyone, it would be the OWS terrorists, but they’ve mostly burned out. The Tea Party has NEVER had ANY violence or even law breaking at their marches or gatherings. Leftists have Hate and Violence at theirs.

    Report Post » TheBurningTruth  
  • progressiveslayer
    Posted on August 14, 2012 at 7:20pm

    The phrase I like the most from ignorant people on this subject is well if I don’t have anything to hide
    what’s the problem. The problem is government always abuses it’s power and the fact that every time you allow yourself to be illegally searched just to fly erodes your civil liberties and government will continue to make illegal laws to strip you of all civil liberties.

    Report Post » progressiveslayer  
  • Elena2010
    Posted on August 14, 2012 at 6:53pm

    “Person of Interest” moved fm the boob-toob to real life. How sad is that?

    Report Post » Elena2010  
    • justangry
      Posted on August 14, 2012 at 8:22pm

      What’s really said is there are 21 comments on this article and over a 1000 on the “pansexual” story. We really need to adjust our priorities in this country quickly. We are losing our freedom at an alarming rate.

      Report Post » justangry  
  • Tigress1
    Posted on August 14, 2012 at 6:32pm

    It’s understandable how the government would need to be prepared for civil unrest – after all the Occupiers are a looney bunch; but why would the NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE need 16,000 rounds of hollow point bullets, paper targets, etc.?

    http://www.infowars.com/national-weather-service-follows-dhs-in-huge-ammo-purchase/

    Report Post » Tigress1  
  • dissentnow
    Posted on August 14, 2012 at 6:26pm

    Civil liberties? Republicans only care about civil liberties when there is a democrat in the white house and democrats only care about civil liberties when there is a republican in the white house. The river of hypocrisy flows in both directions.

    Report Post »  
  • Larry E
    Posted on August 14, 2012 at 6:14pm

    It’s interesting that they mention the Tea Party, which has been entirely peaceful except in the minds of the leftist whackjobs like Glorious Leader and his useful idiots, but no mention of the anarchistic Occupiers. Of course they can’t possibly need to be spied on or identified by the government just because they nearly always end up committing violent acts, besides Glorious Leader likes them.

    Report Post »  
  • KidCharlemagne
    Posted on August 14, 2012 at 5:38pm

    “No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare. . . . ”
    -James Madison, Political Observations, April 20, 1795

    Report Post »  
  • ccprotect
    Posted on August 14, 2012 at 5:34pm

    Have you ever pulled up to a stop light where no one is around or it is late at night and the light does not change, I have. Gas being expesive as it is to sit there idleing for a minute or 2 I go through. I am an adult and I have insurance and if I am to stupid to know the coast is clear I will take the repercushions. My worry is those cameras only seeing what I did but not why I did it and some moron in a county camera bunker calling in my plate to the local cops for running a red.

    Report Post » ccprotect  
  • watersRpeople
    Posted on August 14, 2012 at 5:16pm

    It doesn’t matter -play with your hideous toys. That which God has brought together no men can undo, and that which men have brought together God will undo. Case in point: that’s why divorce rates among baby boomers are increasing, because men brought them together, and not God.

    Report Post »  
  • justangry
    Posted on August 14, 2012 at 5:13pm

    I don’t like any of this stuff one bit. There is no reason for big brother to be as invasive as it already is in a free society. Yet all we hear is it’s going to get worse. There’s very few people in Washington that are standing up against this. The ACLU seems more worried about keeping religioun out of the public sphere (except our state department…) than focusing on actually civil liberties abuses. It’s unnatural. Anyone with a lick of sense can feel that it’s wrong in their gut. Lord knows that federal oversight is ALWAYS a joke, so we wind up with perverts, egomaniacs and other assorted lowlifes doing the actual spying. Come on give me a break. This has to stop. I rather take my chances with the boogieman. Who could live in a society where you have to be perfect every minute of every day? It would drive me mad, and I’m as boring as they come.

    Report Post » justangry  
    • Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
      Posted on August 14, 2012 at 5:33pm

      Good point about those manning this system. These aren’t college educated, aspiration filled, go getters. These are union employees. Government union employees and police unions. Yeah, they will be a real cross-section of America for sure.

      This goes back to points I made last week. We the people are paying for our own chains. Not only that, we the people don’t even get to see who is on the other side of that camera. If you start demanding to know who these people are then you’re probably have something to hide and we better watch you more closely and send the IRS to audit you. In fact, because of your distrust of America (ie, the government IS America) we should probably just bring you in…without a warrant of course.

      Report Post » Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve  
  • Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
    Posted on August 14, 2012 at 5:11pm

    Well we have ourselves to blame do we not? I voted for GWB and at one time defended the Patriot Act. I was stupid. (Some of y’all say I still am…ha, beat you to it.) We all were. We were scared and wanted action. Well we sure got it didn’t we?

    So now the Tea Party is the topic of insurrection. Man, that was FAST. From having a rally to being the OpFor in battle simulations against our government. We get what we deserve, I suppose.

    I still don’t want to believe that a soldier or officers in command could ever raise a weapon against a US citizen. I guess that’s naive too seeing as how they did just that in Katrina (they were Nat. Grd.)

    The sick thing about all of this is that they are taking money from us and our children at gunpoint to fund massive server farms and spy technology to spy on us and then create battle scenarios about how they will deal with the people that they are literally stealing from.

    When Franklin told the woman in the crowd that the founders had given them a “republic, so long as you can keep it”, THIS is what he meant. THIS can’t happen when we are stewards of freedom, guardians of the republic. THIS is what happens when we go to sleep on the job. Now WE are the enemy.

    Report Post » Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve  
    • justangry
      Posted on August 14, 2012 at 5:46pm

      Remember the schools don’t teach the Constitution, so everyone enlisting has no clue what they’re swearing to protect. Everyone with friends or family serving should be sending pocket Constitutions out to their loved ones with a link to the Oathkeeper’s site. All of you voting for Romney might want to read it before you send it out too.

      Report Post » justangry  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on August 14, 2012 at 6:06pm

      Now we are in the end game for the future of the Republic; when the US Government starts to craft hypothetical scenarios for wargames, that means they are taking them into serious consideration. I can all too easily see this happening, just before or after the elections when Obama slides over the edge into insanity and has lost it all.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • justangry
      Posted on August 14, 2012 at 8:19pm

      @Snowleopard, Alex Jones is saying the banks are supposed to collapse in October as an excuse to usher in the NWO. Of course, you know the baggage Alex Jones carries about being all about the conspiracy theories. Still something isn’t sitting well with me either. It’s just a feeling in my gut really. Perhaps it’s paranoia, but a lot of us are sensing something isn’t right. I mean you watch a child crying while a stranger is touching them where they shouldn’t, and we all KNOW it’s wrong. Our humanity is telling us it’s wrong, and we used to value that until the progs. started moving us away from natural law and our traditions.

      Report Post » justangry  
  • SREGN
    Posted on August 14, 2012 at 5:03pm

    Uh-oh. Here come the posts: “Oh, if you aren’t doing anything wrong, what’s there to fear?” Plenty. The government can define “wrong”. That might be attending a church service, attending a tea party rally, praying outside an abortion mill, anything. Those of you who would trade liberty for security deserve neither.

    Report Post »  
    • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
      Posted on August 14, 2012 at 5:18pm

      I still say, cameras can be broken and wires can be cut.

      Report Post » Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
    • Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve
      Posted on August 14, 2012 at 5:41pm

      @ATI,

      Sure they can. See “unrest scenario option C”. You can’t beat them.

      Our educational system has produced generations of people devoid of reason. Our entitlement system has created millions of dependents. How are you going to reason with a C average HS student who is now 25 and been given a gun and benefits and a pension that WE pay for? How are you going to tell him that he should disobey the system that puts food on his table and made him a “somebody” and how do you convince him what he is doing is wrong if he has no history, civics, or logic to draw that conclusion? You can’t. The progressives have built an army. As much as we claim to be “one nation under God” we are anything but. We are a broken people. Just like Europe grapples with tribal/clan default reactions we now have our clans/tribes. There are liberty and constitutionalists and there are statists. Neither side can be converted. The statists aren’t going to see the light because the system giving them information and resources will control that access. The liberty lovers are never going to become statists. Some may because they have lost the will to resist. But most won’t. We are not “one nation”. We are two nations and we should go our separate directions before people get hurt. Just my 2 cents on a philosophical rant.

      Report Post » Rothbardian_in_the_Cleve  

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