Welcome to the future! A future where your town knows more about your daily routine than your own family. “Smart” cities are all the rage these days, promising a seamless blend of technology and everyday life. But peel back the glossy exterior, and you’ll find they’re less about making communities smart and more about making them supercharged surveillance traps.
Politicians and city planners love to drone on about “efficiency” and “optimization,” which sounds nice until you realize it’s just code for “making life more annoying and more expensive.” Every time one of these self-proclaimed ‘public servants’ talks about how a new surveillance camera or AI-powered dumpster will save taxpayer money, what they’re really saying is: “We’re about to find some very creative ways to tax the hell out of you.”
But it doesn’t have to be this way. There’s a lot we can do to outsmart these smart cities and put some common sense back in. So here’s a blueprint for anyone with the will to stop our cities from turning into an Orwellian nightmare run by unhinged technocrats.
Start by Taking a Stand as an Individual
It’s easy to feel powerless when you’re just one person, but even a lone voice can make a big impact—especially when you’re louder than the guy in the corner handing out glossy brochures about “streamlined public safety solutions.” The key is to be persistent and, more importantly, strategic.
Start by doing your homework and gathering information on the technologies being proposed or already deployed in your area. Once you’ve armed yourself with knowledge, it’s time to make your presence felt. Call and email your city and county representatives to express your concerns. And don’t stop there. Write a formal letter detailing why you believe these technologies are a threat to personal privacy and safety. Elected officials get flooded with emails and calls, but a well-crafted, thoughtful letter has a way of standing out in the sea of complaints about potholes and noise ordinances.
Be sure to attend council meetings and make your voice heard during the public comment period. You don’t need to deliver a TED Talk—just a few clear, focused sentences can make an impression, especially if you’re the only one standing up for civil liberties.
If you have the opportunity, schedule time to meet one-on-one with your representative. These meetings can be surprisingly effective. When you look them in the eye and tell them exactly why you oppose smart city surveillance tech, it’s harder for them to shrug it off. Remember, they’re supposed to work for you, not the vendor promising a “crime-free” community via mass digital surveillance.
Amplify Your Efforts by Mobilizing Others
Once you’ve established yourself as a voice of dissent, it’s time to amplify that voice by bringing others into the fold. Talk to your friends, family, and neighbors about the surveillance technologies creeping into your community. Chances are, some will share your concerns once they know what’s really at stake.
With a few like-minded allies on your side, you can start turning up the heat. Organize small meetings to discuss the issue and brainstorm ways to get more people involved. And if you’re already active in or have connections with a local Libertarian Party affiliate, tap into that network.
With even a small group of committed individuals, you can start organizing coordinated actions like attending council meetings en masse, submitting multiple public comments, and scheduling meetings with multiple representatives. This turns your concern from a lone voice into a chorus that’s much harder to ignore. Encourage Libertarian Party affiliates to pass and publicize resolutions opposing surveillance tech and reach out to other pro-liberty groups in your area. You’d be surprised how many people you can rally to the cause once you make them aware of what’s happening in their own backyards.
Put Public Pressure on Elected Officials
With numbers on your side, it’s time to start making elected officials sweat. Host community events like town halls or educational meetups to discuss the dangers of smart city tech. Invite your local representatives and media to attend. There’s nothing quite like the pressure of explaining to a room full of concerned citizens why you’re supporting technology that treats everyone like a potential suspect.
Make sure your presence is felt on social media as well. Post photos from council meetings, share your public comments, and tag your representatives to let them know you’re not going away anytime soon. Consistent public pressure is often what it takes to get elected officials to reconsider their positions—or at least think twice before voting for the next surveillance system contract.
Getting organized doesn’t have to be complicated or even formal. A few dedicated people can move mountains if they’re determined enough. Whether it’s through Libertarian Party affiliates, neighborhood groups, a Banish Big Brother chapter, or just friends and family willing to show up and speak out, the power to push back is in your hands. You might start out as a lone individual, but with persistence and a little help, you’ll quickly find you’re not alone in this fight.
Move to the State Level: Push for Privacy Protections
Pushing back against surveillance isn’t just a local issue—it’s a fight that needs to be waged on multiple fronts, from city hall all the way up to the state capitol. You don’t have to wait until you’ve exhausted your options with the local city council to start pushing for state-level protections. In fact, pursuing both strategies at the same time can give you the best chance of success. If you’re speaking out at council meetings while simultaneously lobbying state reps, you’re making it clear that you won’t let these invasive technologies get a foothold without a fight.
State legislators have the power to implement sweeping changes, and you should be ready to push for strong legislation that bans or severely limits the use of surveillance technologies by government bodies. That means advocating for laws that outright prohibit the government from using facial recognition software, the deployment of automated license plate readers, and the use of audio or thermal sensors for monitoring public spaces. If a complete ban isn’t on the table, insist on significant limitations, such as requiring clear evidence of need, strict data retention policies, and regular audits to ensure compliance.
If legislators are hesitant to ban the tech, push them to at least demand full transparency. That means mandating public disclosure of what technologies are being used, who has access to the data, and how long that data is being stored. Require that government agencies provide detailed reports to the public about these systems and institute mandatory public hearings before any new technology can be rolled out. These hearings give the community a chance to ask questions, voice concerns, and potentially prevent harmful tech from ever being implemented in the first place.
Steer the Conversation Early
But don’t stop there—state governments often form study committees to explore complex issues like smart city technologies and privacy protections. These committees are where many surveillance regulations—or lack thereof—get hammered out before they ever reach the floor of the state legislature. Most people don’t even know these committees exist, but they play a crucial role in shaping policy. Find out if your state has any study committees focused on technology, privacy, or law enforcement practices. Once you’ve identified the relevant committees, start sending in letters and emails expressing your concerns and outlining specific policy recommendations.
If you’re able, provide testimony at committee hearings. You don’t have to be a lawyer or a technical expert—your voice as a concerned citizen can carry significant weight. Share your experiences, explain why you think privacy protections are important, and cite examples from other states or countries to back up your arguments. Even a short, well-reasoned testimony can help influence committee members and set the tone for future legislation.
Involvement in study committees can often be a backdoor to shaping policy before the broader public even knows what’s happening. By engaging early and staying persistent, you can ensure that your voice—and the voices of your neighbors—are heard long before the final vote is taken. Working at the state level doesn’t just complement your efforts locally; it strengthens the overall push against unbridled government surveillance in a way that protects communities statewide.
By advocating for bans or strict limitations on government use of surveillance tech, demanding transparency, and getting involved in study committees, you can build momentum for real change. It’s about creating a layered defense that makes it difficult for Big Brother to find any weak points to exploit. And when you mobilize allies like Libertarian Party affiliates or other civil liberties groups to join you in the fight, you’re showing state legislators that this isn’t just a fringe issue—it’s a movement. With enough pressure from regular people like us, we can put meaningful restrictions on these technologies and protect the privacy of everyone across the state.
Privacy Theater: When ‘Protections’ Are All Show
You’ll hear politicians talk about privacy “safeguards” or “guardrails” as if they’re some magic solution. They’ll toss around terms like “data anonymization” and “shorter retention periods” to make you feel secure. But don’t be fooled—most of these so-called protections are flimsy and superficial.
Take data anonymization, for example. They might remove your name, but if they’re still tracking your movements and habits, how anonymous are you really? As for data retention limits, they’ll claim to be doing you a favor by storing your data for three years instead of forever—as if we should be popping champagne over that.
These weak promises are used to placate the public while tech firms and government agencies keep pushing the envelope behind closed doors. They might promise you that data won’t be shared, but who’s to say it won’t be “rented,” “licensed,” or “sold” to some third party with deep pockets? It’s privacy theater—a series of empty gestures designed to make you feel safe while still letting them peek through your blinds whenever they want.
Use Open Records Act (ORA) Requests to Uncover Surveillance Secrets
You want to know what’s really going on with the “smart” technology in your town? Use your state’s Open Records Act (ORA) to get the dirt. ORA requests are like the legal equivalent of throwing open the curtains on a nosy neighbor—you get to see exactly what’s happening behind the scenes.
Start by identifying who handles ORA requests in your municipality. Ask for contracts, deployment plans, and communication records with tech companies. If you’re concerned about where the cameras and sensors are located, ask for a log of installation sites and usage information.
On the state level, focus on agencies like the Department of Transportation or Public Safety, which are often involved in smart city projects. Request details on statewide surveillance programs, including budgets, partnerships with corporations, and policy guidelines.
Here’s a tip: when you get your hands on something juicy, don’t keep it to yourself. Share it with Banish Big Brother. We’ll make sure it gets the attention it deserves, whether it’s posting the info online or sending press releases. Transparency is key to pushing back against these surveillance operations and ensuring the community is aware of what’s going on.
Organize a Banish Big Brother Bar Crawl: Fight Back with Fun (and a Little Bit of Weird)
All this talk about ORA requests and privacy legislation might make you feel like you’re fighting a war with spreadsheets. So why not have a little fun with it?
Gather your friends for a ‘Banish Big Brother Bar Crawl.’ That’s right—hit the town in style, but with a twist. Don your weirdest and most wonderful anti-surveillance outfits, from face paint and disguise masks to shorts printed with faces and license plates. Not only might it confuse the facial recognition and license plate reading tech, but it’s certain to draw attention from passers-by, allowing you to start an important conversation.
Here’s how it works: map out your route to hit as many surveillance spots as you can find. Think red-light cameras, “smart” streetlights, or even those mysterious boxes on poles that no one can quite identify. Stop at each location, point out the tech, and explain to passers-by why they should care that Big Brother’s got an eye on them.
Not a bar-goer? Organize a Banish Big Brother walking tour instead. Gather a group of like-minded privacy advocates and take a leisurely stroll through your town, pointing out the hidden eyes of Big Brother along the way. Maybe even sample the best cups of coffee at local cafes as you go. It’s a way to get people together, see firsthand how much surveillance has crept into your own backyard, and learn to recognize the tech that’s quietly watching. Plus, who can say no to a caffeine-fueled chat about civil liberties?
What You Can Do Right Now to Protect Your Privacy
While community action is crucial, you don’t have to wait for a local coalition to take immediate steps. Reduce your data trail by avoiding overuse of GPS and location-tracking apps. Opt for cash when making purchases, use privacy-focused tools for communication and browsing, and cover or disable cameras on personal devices whenever possible.
For a more social way to spread awareness, consider hosting a screening of SMART: Coming to a City Near You. It’s a great opportunity to educate friends, neighbors, and local activists about the real-world impacts of smart city technology and start a discussion about how to fight back.
The Bottom Line: Fight Back Before It’s Too Late
The truth is, ‘smart’ cities are more about surveillance than genuine intelligence. The time to act is now, while we still have the ability to shape how these technologies are used—or whether they’re used at all. We can’t afford to wait until every lamppost is watching us and every trash can is tracking our recycling habits.
If you’re looking for a deeper dive into the issues surrounding smart city surveillance and how to fight back, check out the Banish Big Brother Toolkit. It’s packed with practical strategies for anyone who wants to get involved, whether that means organizing your community, understanding legal avenues, or simply learning more about how these technologies work. It’s a resource worth having on hand if you’re serious about pushing back against the surveillance state. Download it, share it, and use it to make sure our rights don’t get lost in the noise of “innovation” and “progress.”
Congratulations—you’ve officially done more thinking about surveillance tech than most of the elected officials voting on these surveillance contracts. Thanks for taking the time to dig deeper and, more importantly, for being the kind of person who won’t let Big Brother off the hook without a fight. Keep questioning, keep showing up, and keep pushing back—you’re exactly what they don’t want: someone who actually cares.
