Vivek Ramaswamy
Role at the time: Republican nominee for Ohio governor
Statement summary
Ramaswamy said he does not want an authoritarian surveillance state and warned that government mapping of every movement could eventually lead to one, while saying the country is not there now.
“I do not want to see an authoritarian surveillance state that ultimately threatens what this country was built on, which was our freedom on the 250th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence. We remember that all men are created equal, endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, among these life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and if the government is able to, and does, map out every movement you make, we're ultimately living, eventually, it's not there now, but eventually, you skate to where the puck is going, it's not hard to imagine a Chinese-style surveillance state”
WKRC Local 12 report, syndicated on Dayton 24/7 Now, on how Ohio's candidates for governor and state officials view Flock cameras.
Why we used this label
The reference point is whether networked license-plate reader systems such as Flock should exist and be used. Ramaswamy warns that government mapping of every movement could lead to a surveillance state, but says the country is not there now, and WKRC reports that he disagrees with a statewide ban while opposing use in private spaces. His concern is conditional and paired with rejection of a ban, so Mixed or conditional fits better than Condemned.