Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-m9kch Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-01T14:15:43.539Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

5 - Binary Searches and the Potential for 100 Percent Enforcement

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 August 2019

Ric Simmons
Affiliation:
Ohio State University
Get access

Summary

Chapter 5 describes a uniquely productive type of surveillance known as a binary search. Binary searches reveal no information other than the absence or presence of illegal activity. The Supreme Court has correctly determined that a binary search does not implicate the Fourth Amendment, since an individual does not have a legitimate expectation of privacy in illegal conduct. The cost–benefit analysis theory encourages binary searches, because they are the perfect example of positive sum surveillance: if designed properly, they can increase the level of crime detection without increasing the level of privacy infringement. Soon facial recognition technology and advances in crime recognition software will allow law enforcement to achieve nearly 100 percent enforcement for certain crimes. Such a development, though theoretically desirable, has potentially negative side effects.

Type
Chapter
Information
Smart Surveillance
How to Interpret the Fourth Amendment in the Twenty-First Century
, pp. 102 - 118
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2019

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×