A May 2026 article in DW.com, Germany’s public-broadcasting network, explained that “China’s state surveillance machine … is rapidly evolving from a network of simple street cameras into a data-fused, 24/7, predictive social control behemoth.” We can’t chalk it up to a purely Chinese thing, as Great Britain has become known for creating its own system of mass surveillance. Even in our relatively free and pluralistic society, the government’s use of security cameras and AI-generated tracking devices is expanding without sufficient oversight. State governments and the feds lack significant restrictions, while local governments are embracing these technologies as a way to battle ordinary crime. (RELATED: AI: The Biggest Heist in World History)For starters, the systems are easily abused by errant law-enforcement officials.