Guilty until you find out who really did it?

Perhaps the biggest place my libertarian ideals clash with my strong feeling that technology should be strongly encouraged to progress is the issue of surveillance. It seems like every year the number of ways technology keeps tabs on us doubles, and law enforcement inevitably finds a way to get their fingers on the data. Computers are getting better every day at sifting the data themselves. In a frighteningly near future it looks likely that you will be so thoroughly watched that every minor infraction committed outside of your home could be instantly noticed, tried, ticketed, and deducted from your bank account. In the video above we see another slide down the slippery slope and catch a glimpse of how fair the system likely will be. Apparently proving that you weren’t even in the state when the crime was committed isn’t good enough any more, you have to go track down the criminals yourself. Apparently your accuser can now be a not too bright machine, and your car can commit crimes you are responsible for, whether you were there or not. In the age of automated law enforcement, the burden of proof should be even more strongly on the accuser, not less, and allowing the system to be a source of revenue will be its downfall.