Blake Dowling: Who is listening?

The political world has been full of scandals over the years regarding spying and eavesdropping.

President Richard Nixon certainly ranks at the top of the list.

Our current President may or may not be taping calls and meetings. Lots of U.S. presidents have taped conversations.

Opinions differ on the practice, good documentation versus flat out wrong — or illegal, in some cases.

Then you have the National Security Agency, allegedly, taping, tracking monitoring all things cellphone.

The Washington Post outlined very high-tech info on some of those practices.

But what happens when it’s in your backyard? It’s not something in our nation’s capital but in our state Capitol. This week some disturbing updates on last years news popped up in regards to eavesdropping.

According to the Tallahassee Democrat story that broke this week on a situation from last year in which spy cams were discovered on the property of the Tennyson Condominiums.

Allegedly, the planting of these cameras could date back to Frank the Tank — former Sen. Frank Artiles — and his rumored hiring of this group below to plant the device to monitor possible rivals.

The idea of targeting our elected officials in this manner is disturbing. For other residents of the Tennyson, the breach of security and privacy is unforgivable. But it is nothing new.

Surveillance, taping, recording, listening, accusing and stalking have always been a part of the process. However, with the technical tools available these days, it is spooky times 10.

So … you may be thinking everyone is watching everyone, and we might just be in the middle of a surveillance state. You aren’t too wrong.

Check out our friends at the Electronic Frontier Foundation and get on board with some conspiracies, although there is nothing from the U.S. House of Representatives site about spying on Americans regarding the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Section 702?

As we make our way into 2018, be advised — someone is watching and maybe recording everything we do.

On the plus side, by knowing the camera is on, maybe some folks out there will behave more appropriately.

Lord knows, in the news last year, there has been enough bad behavior for a lifetime.

Or maybe it will all become illegal in the coming years. Enjoy your weekend — and smile for the camera.

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Blake Dowling is CEO of Aegis Business Technologies and can be reached at [email protected].