Eye on America, Indeed 

This is largely theoretical, though. If you haven't been hearing about lots of bad guys being nabbed by these systems, there's a reason. In real-world situations, the technology's performance has not been stellar.

Even in controlled test environments, if the subject's head is turned the wrong way, the person is wearing glasses or the lighting isn't just right, the systems can reportedly become easily confused.

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Crank up a face-recognition system too tightly and everyone with a mustache could be stopped as Saddam Hussein. Loosen the settings too much and Osama bin Laden might slip through with members of the U.S. Marine Corps.

There are those among us who would probably prefer to live like our friend No. 6: always under observation, perpetually under analysis. Their lives would be utterly controlled by those in power, who claim to know what's best for us and offer us promises of security in return, however hollow these promises may be.

Lots of folks would probably volunteer to move permanently to an equivalent of The Village tomorrow. The way things are going, the rest of us may end up there as well, whether we like it or not.

Be seeing you.

Lauren Weinstein has been involved with the Internet for decades, beginning with Arpanet. He is the co-founder of People for Internet Responsibility (PFIR), the creator and moderator of the Privacy Forum, and an outspoken commentator on technology and society.

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