The news that hit my feed this morning made my blood run cold. A woman seeking an abortion was tracked using Flock camera systems – those ubiquitous license plate readers that seem to multiply on our streets like weeds after rain. The authorities used this surveillance network to build a case against her, turning what should be private healthcare into a digital dragnet.

This isn’t just about reproductive rights, though that’s certainly part of it. This is about how we’ve sleepwalked into a surveillance state while telling ourselves it’s all for our own good.