Chapter 1: The Age of Surveillance

In today's world, we find ourselves living in increasingly bizarre times. Just last week, the crime application Citizen initiated a pilot program for personal security services in Chicago. According to reports from Motherboard, this app will provide a trial version of on-demand security for its subscription customers, thanks to a partnership with the well-known security firm Securitas.

Citizen epitomizes two distinctly American fears: paranoia and a relentless entrepreneurial drive. Launched in 2016 as Vigilante, the app has evolved into a contemporary version of a police scanner, complete with real-time updates based on relevant 911 calls. It also allows users to submit personal reports and record live videos of any suspicious activities or individuals.

The app's unique reporting feature is what makes it stand out, and it's also the reason, as noted by The Outline, that the platform garnered nearly $1 million in funding from Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund among others. Without user-generated content, Vigilante/Citizen would merely blend into the myriad of existing police scanner applications.

However, the reliance on user-generated content also raises significant concerns. Humans are notoriously poor at assessing danger. This begs the question: How do we categorize suspicious behavior? What drives individuals to report “incidents” on an app like Citizen?

A striking example is the case of Kelly Thomas, a homeless man who was tragically loitering in a Fullerton parking lot in July 2011. A nearby bar called the police, suspecting him of tampering with vehicles. The police arrived and, in the process of investigating, severely injured him, leading to his brain death hours later.

The dangers of Citizen and its CEO Andrew Frame are evident from past incidents. In May of last year, following a wildfire in Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades area, Citizen received a tip about an alleged arsonist. Utilizing a new live-streaming feature called OnAir, the app began to circulate information about the purported suspect, based solely on user-supplied tips. This information included the individual’s name and image. Throughout the night, Frame even offered a $30,000 reward for details that could lead to the suspect's arrest.

The messages Frame sent to the company’s group chat that night are telling: “First name? What is it?! Publish ALL info,” he urged his employees. “FIND THIS GUY… LET’S GET HIM BEFORE MIDNIGHT HES GOING DOWN.” “BREAKING NEWS. This guy is the devil. Get him… by midnight!”

Simultaneously, the app notified its users: “Citizen is OnAir: Arsonist Pursuit Continues,” a notification sent to 848,816 users in Los Angeles stated. “We are now offering a $30,000 reward for any information leading to his arrest tonight. Tap to join the live search.”

Ultimately, it became clear by the end of the night that the individual in question was not responsible for the wildfire. Nonetheless, Citizen had spent hours broadcasting his name and image while offering financial incentives for information about him.

This incident serves as a stark example of the perils associated with the Citizen app. The individuals behind the platform, both on the technical side and those generating content, have embraced a culture of paranoia.

After all, paranoia has become a quintessential American pastime.

The pressing question, especially in light of recent developments, is whether we require a private police force for Citizen subscribers. The unequivocal answer is no.

Despite this, Citizen's ongoing efforts to deliver on-demand protection reflect the hysteria of our times. This phenomenon illustrates the convergence of numerous societal issues: the influx of venture capital leading to the creation of unnecessary services, the unchecked ambitions of authoritarian executives who fail to consider the broader implications of their actions, and the anxieties and ennui experienced by the white suburban middle class.

When viewed from a broader perspective, the fear and paranoia may start to become clearer. Unfortunately, this anxiety is often misplaced.

Chapter 2: The Consequences of Modern Paranoia

This video titled "Spying on Your Neighbours in Cold War America - The Creepy 1960s Trend of Bugging" explores how societal paranoia has evolved through history, shedding light on the roots of modern surveillance culture.