Yes, Charli...in principle, you can sue over unauthorized access/sharing of personal data...and that’s exactly what a lot of the current DOGE-related lawsuits are trying to do... argue federal privacy laws were violated by improper access/disclosure.
I always try to think historically when I read your articles.
The recent ICE operations in Minnesota, which led to the deaths of Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, are not isolated events. They follow a long pattern in U.S. history where law enforcement has been used to project power over certain communities — from the Fugitive Slave Act to Jim Crow policing and the militarization of cities. What is framed as “enforcing the law” is often more about asserting authority than protecting people, and the use of militarized federal agents in American cities is the latest example.
Immigration enforcement has always been a political tool: by portraying certain groups as threats, the government makes extreme measures appear necessary. The result is predictable — escalating force, often with deadly consequences. Minneapolis shows us what happens when enforcement is unchecked: citizens are threatened in their own neighborhoods, and the state operates without accountability. Demanding transparency and limits on this power is not radical; it is defending the basic rules that keep democracy alive.
Jane, thank you. You’re doing exactly what serious readers should do...zoom out and look for patterns...not excuses.
History shows this clearly: "law enforcement” is often the language used after power has already decided who gets pressured and who gets protected.
What concerns me most isn’t any single operation...but the normalization of FORCE without transparency or accountability.
Once that becomes routine...the rationale always sounds reasonable...and the damage always looks accidental after the fact.
Asking for limits...oversight...and clear rules isn’t radical. It’s the bare minimum required to keep authority...from sliding into abuse, and once those limits disappear...they don’t come back on their own.
“The part of this I wish weren’t true is travel data - I don’t even need a plane ticket at the airport anymore.” They scan my face & essentially say - ‘we knew you were coming & know where you’re going.
James, that instinct is right...and it’s the quiet part most people don’t want to sit with.
The issue isn’t convenience; it’s normalization.
Systems built for speed and “security” ...quietly become systems of TRACKING...and once they’re integrated...opting OUT isn’t really an option anymore.
What matters isn’t whether this use feels harmless...but...how easily the same data can be repurposed...later...by a different agency...under a different justification.
The part of this I wish weren’t true is that what I do.. say.. read.. post.. etc…. could affect my loved ones.
Actually, I wish none of it were true but I make my decisions knowing what it could cost me but am I willing to put my family and close friends in danger too?
I’m certain I probably already have and that terrifies me.
I hear this, Susan...and you’re not wrong to feel it.
The hardest part isn’t personal risk. It’s the fear of collateral risk. That instinct to protect the people you love....is healthy. Human. And...it’s exactly why this pressure works as a silencing tool.
Two grounding truths, though:
First, fear inflates faster than danger. Authoritarian systems want you to imagine omnipresent reach...because IMAGINED power does more work than real power EVER could.
Most people who hold fast are FAR less exposed than their nervous systems are telling them.
Second, you are not acting recklessly...you are acting deliberately. You’re weighing costs... staying aware...staying grounded. That matters. Courage isn’t the absence of fear; it’s refusing to let fear make the decisions for you.
You are not alone in this. That’s the quiet strength...underneath
#HOLDFAST.
Thank you for trusting me with something this real, Susan Heathman.
PS. Quick question. Do you recommend any particular email provider? I lost an account when I upgraded my iPhone and I need to add another and give up on getting that one back.
Thanks, Jack. I’ll consider this. I have a Gmail and I lost another Gmail account sometime back. Never could recover it. I have two-factor ID but won’t use facial recognition. I need to do something… fast!
In the 60s, and 70s, when I did skip tracing as part of my job, I would go to huge books called the Polk Directory for every state. I could find your name, family members, addresses, phone numbers, occupation, and those of your neighbors and coworkers. Amazing the trails people left behind.
Candy, that made me smile...and I appreciate you saying it out loud.
You’re right about the mechanics...but more importantly...you landed on the real point with your answer.
The unsettling truth isn’t just that systems collect data. It’s that they reflect patterns back to us we don’t consciously track...habits...reactions...thresholds...even moods.
Not because they’re omniscient...but because scale + memory beats intuition every time.
That’s why orientation matters. If you don’t know how the system sees you...you end up negotiating with shadows.
So thank YOU...for engaging...for naming it plainly...and for being willing to look straight at something most people feel...but don’t articulate.
The part I wish weren't true is how much data has been collected on all of us. I'm getting ready to travel and we are disabling the biometric sign ins on phones. It is chilling that this is where we are at.
Kristine, I feel this...and you’re right to name it...without dramatizing it.
What’s chilling...isn’t just that data has been collected. It’s how quietly and normally it happened. No knock on the door. No single moment to object to. Just convenience... layered on convenience...until the baseline SHIFTED.
Disabling biometric sign-ins while traveling is a rational response...not paranoia. It’s a reminder that friction used to be the default...and convenience came with tradeoffs we were never fully asked to consent to.
You’re not overreacting...you’re orienting. And orientation...is the difference between fear... and agency.
Thank you for saying this out loud. It helps others realize...they’re NOT alone in feeling it.
Neighbor received email from Census asking for lots of private information supposedly for rural communities including ancestry, exact income (not just a range). What they already knew - their email address that coincided with their street address.
23 and me owned by TTAM who got it when the DNA collector became bankrupt. Owner of TTAM is the same as what was. If you had your DNA checked, or say your brother or sister did, they literally have your number.
AMAZON pictures sorts all photos stored and puts them in albums automatically. Sounds great until you realize they used facial recognition and a pic of me at 17 and all others were correctly sorted. Should I be flattered I haven't changed much in six decades, or scared?
NSA has their plant in Utah. Huge. They can listen in on every phone conversation in the US, but you can trust them. Can't you?
The rest of their access, travel, favorite hair color, what we had for breakfast, for me would be pretty boring. But when they spread it further, to family and friends, their little data machine can hurt real people.
Sue, this nails the real issue: none of these things is terrifying alone. The danger is aggregation when Census-style asks...DNA databases...facial recognition photo sorting... and metadata suddenly connect into a SINGLE profile.
You put your finger on what actually scares people: not “they know my breakfast,” but what happens when that data is shared...weaponized...or misread...and spills onto family and friends who never opted in.
Awareness isn’t paranoia. Its orientation. And adding friction...limits...restraint...smarter defaults...isn’t weakness. It’s agency.
HoldFast doesn’t mean panic.
It means staying deliberate... in a system that prefers you passive!
Jack, there is no manner of resistance to this phenomenon that is effective. Indeed, in order to apply for a visa in any European country for residency one must give up biometric data so that you can be enrolled in Interpol’s database. I’ve decided the best defense is to go on offense: I have my own cameras surrounding my properties and vehicles so that if I must encounter these goons, I have my own record of it. At least my family can sue these Nazis for wrongful death or kidnapping with some tangible evidence to give to a lawyer.
Frank Moore, I’m really glad you said this plainly...because there’s a line here that matters.
You’re right...there is no way to opt out completely anymore. Biometric enrollment...cross-border databases...interoperability...that’s the reality of modern states...not a conspiracy.
Anyone telling people there’s a clean escape hatch is lying.
Documenting interactions, maintaining records, knowing your rights...adding measured friction...those are reasonable...lawful...protective steps. They create accountability. They lower the temperature. They reduce risk.
The goal is to stay alive...intact...and boring enough to be uninteresting...while remaining oriented and prepared.
Resistance that lasts is quiet...boring...and relational...not cinematic.
I’m saying this with respect: fear sharpens attention...but despair distorts judgment.
Jack, your wisdom is why I subscribe. “The goal is to stay alive...intact...and boring enough to be uninteresting...while remaining oriented and prepared.”
The first rule of resistance is to stay alive. That’s the primary purpose for resistance. The second rule of resistance is to stay free. But the primary objective of these two rules is liberty because neither of these rules either collectively or alone is worth much without attaining this primary objective for oneself and for others once your own is secured.
Can we sue Elon & Trump because DOGE stole our data and shared it. Isn't that the same as Trump suing the IRS for his tax info being shared?
Yes, Charli...in principle, you can sue over unauthorized access/sharing of personal data...and that’s exactly what a lot of the current DOGE-related lawsuits are trying to do... argue federal privacy laws were violated by improper access/disclosure.
You're asking the right questions!
-Jack
Exactly Charli !!
I always try to think historically when I read your articles.
The recent ICE operations in Minnesota, which led to the deaths of Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, are not isolated events. They follow a long pattern in U.S. history where law enforcement has been used to project power over certain communities — from the Fugitive Slave Act to Jim Crow policing and the militarization of cities. What is framed as “enforcing the law” is often more about asserting authority than protecting people, and the use of militarized federal agents in American cities is the latest example.
Immigration enforcement has always been a political tool: by portraying certain groups as threats, the government makes extreme measures appear necessary. The result is predictable — escalating force, often with deadly consequences. Minneapolis shows us what happens when enforcement is unchecked: citizens are threatened in their own neighborhoods, and the state operates without accountability. Demanding transparency and limits on this power is not radical; it is defending the basic rules that keep democracy alive.
Exceptional writing and coverage, Jack!
#HOLDFAST #FUCKICE
Jane, thank you. You’re doing exactly what serious readers should do...zoom out and look for patterns...not excuses.
History shows this clearly: "law enforcement” is often the language used after power has already decided who gets pressured and who gets protected.
What concerns me most isn’t any single operation...but the normalization of FORCE without transparency or accountability.
Once that becomes routine...the rationale always sounds reasonable...and the damage always looks accidental after the fact.
Asking for limits...oversight...and clear rules isn’t radical. It’s the bare minimum required to keep authority...from sliding into abuse, and once those limits disappear...they don’t come back on their own.
-Jack
Brilliant HKJANE !!
Thank you Morgan.
Just a quick note: I’ll be back later today to reply to your questions and comments.
I’m about to record The Jack Hopkins Show Podcast with Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes.
Thanks for your patience.
#HoldFast
-Jack
“The part of this I wish weren’t true is travel data - I don’t even need a plane ticket at the airport anymore.” They scan my face & essentially say - ‘we knew you were coming & know where you’re going.
James, that instinct is right...and it’s the quiet part most people don’t want to sit with.
The issue isn’t convenience; it’s normalization.
Systems built for speed and “security” ...quietly become systems of TRACKING...and once they’re integrated...opting OUT isn’t really an option anymore.
What matters isn’t whether this use feels harmless...but...how easily the same data can be repurposed...later...by a different agency...under a different justification.
Infrastructure...outlives intent.
-Jack
I know, with Global Entry, they have my face, my fingerprints and probably the name of my firstborn.
Big Brother is here now!!!
The part of this I wish weren’t true is that what I do.. say.. read.. post.. etc…. could affect my loved ones.
Actually, I wish none of it were true but I make my decisions knowing what it could cost me but am I willing to put my family and close friends in danger too?
I’m certain I probably already have and that terrifies me.
Jack, thank you for the analysis.
#HOLDFAST
~Susan
I hear this, Susan...and you’re not wrong to feel it.
The hardest part isn’t personal risk. It’s the fear of collateral risk. That instinct to protect the people you love....is healthy. Human. And...it’s exactly why this pressure works as a silencing tool.
Two grounding truths, though:
First, fear inflates faster than danger. Authoritarian systems want you to imagine omnipresent reach...because IMAGINED power does more work than real power EVER could.
Most people who hold fast are FAR less exposed than their nervous systems are telling them.
Second, you are not acting recklessly...you are acting deliberately. You’re weighing costs... staying aware...staying grounded. That matters. Courage isn’t the absence of fear; it’s refusing to let fear make the decisions for you.
You are not alone in this. That’s the quiet strength...underneath
#HOLDFAST.
Thank you for trusting me with something this real, Susan Heathman.
-Jack
PS. Quick question. Do you recommend any particular email provider? I lost an account when I upgraded my iPhone and I need to add another and give up on getting that one back.
Sure do:
If you want ease + ubiquity...Gmail
If you want privacy over everything...Proton Mail
If you live deep in Apple’s ecosystem...iCloud Mail
Also, here are some tips to avoid another lost account:
Enable 2-Factor Authentication (2FA)
*Add a recovery phone number
*Add a secondary email you control
*Store recovery codes somewhere safe but accessible
Thanks, Jack. I’ll consider this. I have a Gmail and I lost another Gmail account sometime back. Never could recover it. I have two-factor ID but won’t use facial recognition. I need to do something… fast!
I have used Thunderbird for years ... It's an open source product.
The detail most people don’t understand is that it compromises individual freedom without recourse.
Stated plainly and succinctly, Pamela H.
-Jack
I wish it wasn’t true that we gave our privacy up so slowly but WILLINGLY over the past 25 years.
Agreed, Ytram. It's the same reason stores like 7/11 thrived: convenience. People will trade away about everything for that.
-Jack
In the 60s, and 70s, when I did skip tracing as part of my job, I would go to huge books called the Polk Directory for every state. I could find your name, family members, addresses, phone numbers, occupation, and those of your neighbors and coworkers. Amazing the trails people left behind.
But it took time. What bothers me is how fast it is. My biggest “sin” is Substack and reposting to Facebook 👹
I almost feel like I need to protect those on Substack as if they were my family. Folks like Jack, who put themselves at risk to share truth.
That made me smile, Sue. Thanks!
-Jack
Why can’t this be done re Trump in Epstein Files? He’s mentioned at least 5,000 times!
Right, John?! Of course, as you likely don't need me to tell you...much of it could be.
-Jack
I have to admire the way you're getting us to comment through your questions, thus (rightly, I'm not complaining) boosting your reach.
My answer to your midstage question is .... the system knows more about me than I do!
Candy, that made me smile...and I appreciate you saying it out loud.
You’re right about the mechanics...but more importantly...you landed on the real point with your answer.
The unsettling truth isn’t just that systems collect data. It’s that they reflect patterns back to us we don’t consciously track...habits...reactions...thresholds...even moods.
Not because they’re omniscient...but because scale + memory beats intuition every time.
That’s why orientation matters. If you don’t know how the system sees you...you end up negotiating with shadows.
So thank YOU...for engaging...for naming it plainly...and for being willing to look straight at something most people feel...but don’t articulate.
That awareness? That’s leverage!
-Jack
The part I wish weren't true is how much data has been collected on all of us. I'm getting ready to travel and we are disabling the biometric sign ins on phones. It is chilling that this is where we are at.
Kristine, I feel this...and you’re right to name it...without dramatizing it.
What’s chilling...isn’t just that data has been collected. It’s how quietly and normally it happened. No knock on the door. No single moment to object to. Just convenience... layered on convenience...until the baseline SHIFTED.
Disabling biometric sign-ins while traveling is a rational response...not paranoia. It’s a reminder that friction used to be the default...and convenience came with tradeoffs we were never fully asked to consent to.
You’re not overreacting...you’re orienting. And orientation...is the difference between fear... and agency.
Thank you for saying this out loud. It helps others realize...they’re NOT alone in feeling it.
-Jack
Neighbor received email from Census asking for lots of private information supposedly for rural communities including ancestry, exact income (not just a range). What they already knew - their email address that coincided with their street address.
23 and me owned by TTAM who got it when the DNA collector became bankrupt. Owner of TTAM is the same as what was. If you had your DNA checked, or say your brother or sister did, they literally have your number.
AMAZON pictures sorts all photos stored and puts them in albums automatically. Sounds great until you realize they used facial recognition and a pic of me at 17 and all others were correctly sorted. Should I be flattered I haven't changed much in six decades, or scared?
NSA has their plant in Utah. Huge. They can listen in on every phone conversation in the US, but you can trust them. Can't you?
The rest of their access, travel, favorite hair color, what we had for breakfast, for me would be pretty boring. But when they spread it further, to family and friends, their little data machine can hurt real people.
#HoldFast
Sue
Sue, this nails the real issue: none of these things is terrifying alone. The danger is aggregation when Census-style asks...DNA databases...facial recognition photo sorting... and metadata suddenly connect into a SINGLE profile.
You put your finger on what actually scares people: not “they know my breakfast,” but what happens when that data is shared...weaponized...or misread...and spills onto family and friends who never opted in.
Awareness isn’t paranoia. Its orientation. And adding friction...limits...restraint...smarter defaults...isn’t weakness. It’s agency.
HoldFast doesn’t mean panic.
It means staying deliberate... in a system that prefers you passive!
-Jack
“The part of this I wish weren’t true is _______.” THE EASE OF INTEGRATION.
Agreed. The "smoothness" of it all adds an even more unsettling element, CLF.
-Jack
ALL OF IT!
Kimberly McInerney...very much worthy of ALL CAPS.
-Jack
As I taught my grandkids, no yelling unless it’s Life or Death.
Jack, there is no manner of resistance to this phenomenon that is effective. Indeed, in order to apply for a visa in any European country for residency one must give up biometric data so that you can be enrolled in Interpol’s database. I’ve decided the best defense is to go on offense: I have my own cameras surrounding my properties and vehicles so that if I must encounter these goons, I have my own record of it. At least my family can sue these Nazis for wrongful death or kidnapping with some tangible evidence to give to a lawyer.
Frank Moore, I’m really glad you said this plainly...because there’s a line here that matters.
You’re right...there is no way to opt out completely anymore. Biometric enrollment...cross-border databases...interoperability...that’s the reality of modern states...not a conspiracy.
Anyone telling people there’s a clean escape hatch is lying.
Documenting interactions, maintaining records, knowing your rights...adding measured friction...those are reasonable...lawful...protective steps. They create accountability. They lower the temperature. They reduce risk.
The goal is to stay alive...intact...and boring enough to be uninteresting...while remaining oriented and prepared.
Resistance that lasts is quiet...boring...and relational...not cinematic.
I’m saying this with respect: fear sharpens attention...but despair distorts judgment.
#HoldFast means staying grounded...and ALIVE.
-Jack
Jack, your wisdom is why I subscribe. “The goal is to stay alive...intact...and boring enough to be uninteresting...while remaining oriented and prepared.”
The first rule of resistance is to stay alive. That’s the primary purpose for resistance. The second rule of resistance is to stay free. But the primary objective of these two rules is liberty because neither of these rules either collectively or alone is worth much without attaining this primary objective for oneself and for others once your own is secured.
The part of this I wish weren’t true is using this capability destructively with malicious intent.
Thank you, Pamela.
-Jack