The big deal here is not the technology, it is that the FBI is involved in tracking participation of a protest.
For the past year we have had not-always-fully-peaceful riots with many deaths and tremendous amount of property loss. Through all this, the FBI never breathed down the neck of the protestors- not even those who could have been actually committing a crime.
Most of the people who went to DC did so peacefully and lawfully. The fact that all protestors are being tracked - and are being told they are tracked- will send quite a chilling message:
Don't ever, ever admit that you are visibly or loudly on the "right". We are watching, and we are powerful, and you cannot prove innocence.
For the past year we have had not-always-fully-peaceful riots with many deaths and tremendous amount of property loss. Through all this, the FBI never breathed down the neck of the protestors- not even those who could have been actually committing a crime.
Most of the people who went to DC did so peacefully and lawfully. The fact that all protestors are being tracked - and are being told they are tracked- will send quite a chilling message:
Don't ever, ever admit that you are visibly or loudly on the "right". We are watching, and we are powerful, and you cannot prove innocence.