Comment by edanm
2 days ago
It's not simple math, because you're ignoring my point - that you don't actually know how often the tools are used in ways you find morally correct, because those don't get publicized.
I'm not saying I have a clue what the answer is - I'm certainly very skeptical of invasive technologies. But I think pretending there's no upside to them is wrong. Like most technologies there are pros and cons. Probably the system in most Western democracies works relatively well - there are adverserial members of the system trying to prove and/or refute the idea that the tool use is necessary, a judge has to sign off, there are checks and balances (including free press) on abuse, etc.
>But I think pretending there's no upside to them is wrong.
I'm not pretending that, I say the cons outweigh the pros because there are more use cases for misuse than use.
Terrorist are rare, child abuse not so much but the arrests are still rare, so either they don't use them in that cases or they don't work.