A Direct Warning to the People of California:

Why We Must Keep Up with Police Technology

I need to tell you something that’s happening right now in California, and it’s important for you to hear me out. The police are using advanced technology in ways most people don’t even realize. Right now, law enforcement agencies, like the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, are testing Apple’s Vision Pro headset to enhance their surveillance capabilities. They can watch us, track us, and gather information in real time—all without us ever knowing. And if we don’t stay informed about this technology, we’ll be giving up our privacy before we even realize it’s gone.

Here’s what’s going on. Police officers can use these virtual reality headsets to tap into live video feeds from cameras placed all over the city. They can pull up 3D maps, access criminal databases, and even look at social media profiles, all in the blink of an eye. They don’t even need to be out on the streets to monitor what’s happening—they can stand in one spot, throw on this headset, and have all the information they need right in front of them.

This technology is being used right now, and the Los Angeles Police Department has already invested $20,000 into these headsets. Their plan is to use them to track people, run license plates through databases, and monitor crime hotspots in real-time. They don’t need a warrant, and they don’t need your permission. They’re using public cameras or cameras set up with the consent of property owners, which makes it all perfectly legal under current law.

But that’s why I’m telling you this—because we need to stay informed. If we don’t keep up with how quickly this technology is evolving, we’re going to lose more than just our privacy. We’re going to lose control over who can watch us, when, and how much they know about our lives. And we’ll never even see it coming.

The courts have already said that as long as police are looking at something in "plain view," it doesn’t count as an illegal search. That means as long as those cameras are placed in public areas or put up with the consent of businesses or homeowners, police can watch whatever they want. But what about when they start using this technology to track us for extended periods? Or when they compare our faces and license plates to criminal databases without a warrant?

The law hasn’t caught up to the technology yet. We’ve seen this before. In United States v. Jones, the Supreme Court ruled that police couldn’t use GPS tracking for long periods without a warrant, but the legal system is always playing catch-up with new technology. By the time the courts rule on whether this kind of surveillance is a violation of our Fourth Amendment rights, we might already be living in a world where police can watch everything we do.

And this isn’t some far-off future. Apple is already working on a lighter version of the Vision Pro headset designed specifically for law enforcement. When that becomes available, officers won’t even need to be in the station to track what’s happening. They’ll be able to monitor us from anywhere, in real-time, with all the data they need right in front of them.

We need to stay aware of this, because if we don’t, we’ll be giving up our privacy without even realizing it. I’m not saying this technology doesn’t have its benefits. Police can respond to crimes faster, and they can use the data they gather to be more efficient in solving cases. But at what cost? Is it worth giving up our rights to privacy just to make their jobs easier?

The courts have taken a stand on privacy issues before. In Carpenter v. United States, the Supreme Court ruled that police needed a warrant to access cell phone location data. But headsets like the Vision Pro aren’t covered by those rulings yet, and until the courts address it, law enforcement can keep using them without having to worry about violating our rights.

This is happening right now in California, and if we don’t start paying attention, it’s only going to get worse. Other law enforcement agencies are watching, and they’ll adopt the same tools if they see how effective they are. We need to question how this technology is being used and make sure we’re not giving up our privacy without a fight.

I’ll keep following this story, and I encourage you to stay informed as well. If you come across any updates about police surveillance or how technology is being used to invade privacy, let me know. This is an issue that affects all of us, and we need to stay ahead of it before our privacy becomes a thing of the past.

Our rights depend on it.