We could try investing in positive infrastructure that improves peoples life's in stead of creating the panopticon torment nexus. Things like third spaces where people can spend time is save spaces where they form communities and public transit so that people can get to those places. Incentivize positive behaviors instead of closing off public spaces and pricing more and more people out of being able to do anything with the minuscule amount of free time they have besides going on the internet.
Allowing the relevant authorities to control, shut down and arrest serious crimes doesn't turn a country into a surveillance state.
Poor surveillance controls do though - let's perhaps fix those instead of allowing garbage like Flock to spread and then hand wring? EU started with GDPR, let's see others follow and build on it?
Who gets to decide which crimes are serious enough to warrant the types of actions being advocated for? Who is going to implement and regulate such controls? Our governments have shown their willingness to violate those controls any time they see fit and are not held to account. Do you honestly believe that you could never end up on the bad side of that deal?
