Presented by RADIOLAB, “Eye in the Sky”(a Podcast article) exposes the issue of surveillance as perceived by different populations. While some may protest that surveillance systems can infringe upon the privacy rights of the American citizenry, others may acclaim the use of modern surveillance as necessary toward the reduction of crime, especially in zones afflicted by crime such as Dayton, Ohio and Juarez, Mexico.

In “Eye in the Sky”, a group of citizens speaks against the implementation of a surveillance system capable of tracking object and human movement through a set of cameras implemented on the bottom surface of a police helicopter. This group emphasizes that this powerful surveillance method can be detrimental to the privacy of an individual within his or her property. Today, in the Digital Age, businesses, organizations, and individuals rely on the use of technological devices such as smartphones to communicate with others, complete tasks, make monetary transactions but also to assess crime and healthcare needs. In light of growing technological improvements, however, it is valid to fear that a device or a widely implemented surveillance system may expose one’s identity, whereabouts, and personal communications.

The Podcast article also puts light upon situations where the use of advanced surveillance helped to dismantle gangs or locate war enemies. In a striking example of this occurrence, the aforementioned set of cameras tracked the movements of suspicious vehicles to locate a gang cartel in Juarez, Mexico responsible for 1500 murders. The cameras themselves do not have the capability to zoom in on to someone’s face. On the end of an operator receiving images from the cameras, people and objects are seen as shapes and dots, and one may only track their movements. In the end, the surveillance system proved to be helpful, without unveiling the identity of innocent civilians.