Who is watching the watchers?
Found a fascinating account (via a /. comment) of doctored police video evidence used in the trials of those arrested during the Republican National Convention in New York. Basically, an innocent man gets caught up in the demonstration. He asks a cop for a way out of the riot zone — and the cop arrests him. The man is charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. To prop up their case, police submit an edited video tape — the parts where the man was peacufully walking around and talking to the cop are cut out.
Much of one’s life today is under video surveillance: stores, malls, public buildings, downtown areas of major cities. The cameras are said to make the world safer: their recordings make it hard for criminals to hide. But what if the recordings are edited or selectively lost? Memory is mushy, untrustworthy; video is hard evidence. If you are caught on camera — you were in front of the camera, unless you have your own video footage. To change anyone’s past, all you need is access to police video archives and a cheap computer.
Do you know who is editing your reality?