Yesterday’s announcement about Gmail’s end-to-end encryption had me rolling my eyes harder than when my daughter tries to convince me TikTok is perfectly safe. Google’s latest attempt to appear privacy-conscious feels about as genuine as a $3 note.

Let’s be crystal clear about what’s happening here. This isn’t true end-to-end encryption (E2EE) being offered to regular Gmail users. Instead, it’s a corporate-focused feature specifically designed for Google Workspace customers who actually pay for their services. The reasoning isn’t hard to follow - Google’s bread and butter comes from scanning our emails to feed their advertising machine.

The recent revelation about Motorola’s ALPR systems leaking live video feeds and vehicle data has got me thinking about the surveillance state we’ve sleepwalked into. Sitting in traffic on Hoddle Street this morning, I found myself counting the number of cameras pointing at my car - traffic cameras, security cameras, and who knows what else.

Remember when we thought automatic number plate recognition was just about catching unregistered vehicles and toll dodgers? Those were simpler times. Now we’re learning that in just 20 minutes, one of these systems in Nashville captured data from nearly 1,000 vehicles. That’s not just license plates - we’re talking about detailed information about vehicle makes, models, and even photos.