For years, Americans were told government surveillance powers would only be used against dangerous threats.
Then the Church Committee uncovered the truth.
COINTELPRO targeted activists, anti-war groups, civil rights leaders, and Americans exercising First Amendment rights. The Senate investigation concluded that some officials believed national security placed them above the law.
That warning matters even more in an era of AI surveillance, facial recognition, and mass data collection.
This video is the first part of a series exploring liberty, safety, and whether modern lawmakers still understand the difference.
