US Has Become "Endemic Surveillance Society"

In a report released by Privacy International, a human rights group formed in 1990 as a watchdog on surveillance and privacy invasions by governments and corporations, the United States has dropped from an "extensive surveillance society" to an "endemic surveillance society," joining the ranks of Singapore, China, Russia, the UK, Malaysia, Thailand, and Taiwan. The report runs over 1,100 pages and includes 6,000 footnotes, with more than 200 experts from around the world providing materials and commentary. Among its findings, Privacy International notes that, in terms of statutory protections and privacy enforcement, the US is the worst ranking country in the democratic world. In terms of overall privacy protection the United States has performed very poorly, being out-ranked by both India and the Philippines. The highest-ranking countries in 2007 are Greece, Romania and Canada, though all three have only middle of the line rankings; on a scale of 1-5, no countries have a score above a 3.

View: Privacy International Report