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by jackpirate 5344 days ago
GPS tracking allows for tracking many targets at once and then sifting through the data to find "bad guys".

Excellent point. Professional statisticians make these mistakes all the time. It is widely considered the reason that so much published scientific research is false. If professional statisticians make these errors, then how can we expect the average policeman not to?

1 comments

The number of people the FBI can surveil with these devices is, while larger than the number of people they can tail in cars, still tiny. That's why I'm OK with it.

The number of people they could surveil with a court order for access to OnStar data is so great that I don't even think they should be able to get court orders for bulk access to OnStar data.

Eh, that's true, but at the same time, tiny is relative. For perspective: The low-end cost of commercial GPS tracking devices is about $50 (as determined by searching Amazon). Assuming the FBI can get a bulk deal on a tracker around that price point, it could track every single Muslim in America for less than its annual construction budget.