While the general public may see low inflation and low (even negative) interest rates as preferable, central banks often prefer higher inflation and especially higher interest rates, which give them more leeway to manipulate the economy.<ul style="list-style-type:disc;"><li>As people approach retirement age, they tend to save more money if they can, which contributes to lower interest rates.</li><li>As people become wealthier, they tend to accumulate assets, contributing to what some economists refer to as “increasing wealth inequality” which also pushes interest rates down.</li><li>Limiting people’s ability and desire to save money can therefore be seen as advantageous for central banks, which may approve of methods to achieve this such as:<ul style="list-style-type:circle;"><li>Redistributing wealth via taxation and spending</li><li>Raising the retirement age</li><li>Introducing negative interest rates</li><li>Moving toward a digital currency</li></ul></li><li>All of the above is supposedly designed to benefit the national economy, even if the majority of individuals actually suffer as a result.</li></ul>&nbsp;One of the problems that comes from having a central bank is that its directors want to “do something” to help the economy. Central bank governors tend to believe that they are at least partially responsible for the wellbeing of their countries' finances. But scratch the surface and you find that their definition of “helping” isn’t necessarily the same as that of the general public.Central banks, in the public perception, are supposed to keep things stable and functioning. They should prevent banks from collapsing (and swallowing up the money held there by regular citizens); they should also keep inflation down and interest rates at “normal” levels. But what do the bankers themselves think about all this—what is their idea of promoting stability?&nbsp;Do you like low interest rates on your mortgage? The central bank doesn'tGertjan Vlieghe is currently an adviser to the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt. A few years ago, when he was still a member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (which sets the base interest rate for the central UK bank), he gave a <a href="https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/-/media/boe/files/speech/2021/july/running-out-of-room-revisiting-the-3d-perspective-on-low-interest-rates-speech-by-gertjan-vlieghe.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">speech</a> outlining some of the problems facing the UK economy and suggesting possible solutions.One of the main problems he highlighted was low interest rates. Interest rates are currently low in many countries, and people with mortgages or small business loans may appreciate that state of affairs. For the central bank, however, low interest rates mean less room to maneuver in the event that they have to stave off a financial crisis.<blockquote>Low neutral rates means limited space for cutting the policy rate when the economy needs stimulus.</blockquote>According to Vlieghe, low interest rates are primarily the result of two things: too many assets being held as savings and too much “wealth inequality.” Since low interest rates are, in his book, a threat to financial stability, it therefore follows that too much money in savings and too much “wealth inequality” are problems that should be dealt with.Vlieghe then describes three ways of addressing these problems: negative interest rates, higher inflation, and measures to combat inequality such as raising the age of retirement:<blockquote>To address limited monetary easing space, there are three types of policy available. Changes that enable policy rates to be cut into deeply negative territory; temporarily or permanently higher inflation rates; policies that raise the neutral rate by lowering time spent in retirement or lowering inequality…</blockquote>&nbsp;Vlieghe is careful to note that, “These are policies for government to decide” and that, “It is not for central bankers to decide any of these measures.” Just a year after giving this speech, he was hired as an economic adviser to Chancellor Hunt, which was perhaps quite natural given his expertise, and also naturally resulted in his having quite significant influence on the policies that the government decides on.Here's a closer look at the three methods of regulating the economy that Vlieghe set out in his speech.&nbsp;Inflation should riseVlieghe pays lip-service to the common perception of inflation as bad, noting:<blockquote>Low and stable inflation is a very good thing, and the inflation targeting framework has served the UK very well.</blockquote>He then adds that, all the same, allowing inflation to rise a little might also be a good thing if it serves to bring interest rates down:<blockquote>... a number of academics have put forward the argument that the inflation target could be revised ... it might be a slightly higher target than today. And the higher target might be permanent, or it might be temporary and conditional on ... policy rates approach[ing] their effective lower bound.</blockquote>&nbsp;Aim for income equalityVlieghe introduces the idea of income equality by referring to “the share of income earned by the top 10% or 1% of earners.” However, he subsequently mentions only “those earning a higher income” with no reference at all to their share of the pie, and the arguments he uses seem to suggest that the problem is not in fact their larger share of the pie, but their increased income itself.&nbsp;The fact of income inequality (which of course exists in all societies) is often presented as evidence of the drawbacks of capitalism. What may be overlooked or ignored is this: Just because the richer are becoming wealthier does not mean that it comes at the expense of others. This was tidily illustrated by former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in one of her last “Questions to the Prime Minister” sessions in the House of Commons:<div class="raw-html-embed"><iframe width="511" height="383" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pdR7WW3XR9c" title="Margaret Thatcher - &quot;They'd rather have the poor poorer.&quot;" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>Vlieghe may be right when he says that “Rising income inequality has been experienced by most advanced economies over the past four decades.” Historically, this has sometimes translated to worsening conditions for the poorest of society; at other times, the “wealth of a nation” has increased for all (albeit often due to the seizure of resources from abroad). It can also be true that as their wealth increases, those in the highest decile are increasingly able to exploit those in the lower deciles.However, Vlieghe does not refer to any of these factors when describing how the increasing tendency to amass assets in the wealthy pushes interest rates down. His problem is simply with prosperity itself, and the effect it has on people who now “have a lower marginal propensity to consume.”His suggestions for addressing this problem are two: “regulatory policy and redistributive taxation,” though he is currently an adviser to a nominally right-wing government. He notes many of the problems that have become endemic in the economy of developed countries, especially since the COVID lockdown period—reduced competition, rising profits, weaker investment, a rise in spending on political lobbying—and proposes to combat them via stronger unions, anti-trust legislation, higher income tax especially on the wealthiest, and higher corporation taxes.As he surely knows, the very wealthiest, those probably most guilty of exploiting the poor, will inevitably find ways around any such measures (via tax havens, outsourcing, etc.). The burden will then fall disproportionately on the middle classes.Most revealing, though, is his claim that inherited wealth is problematic:<blockquote>Low inheritance taxes allow income inequality in one generation to become entrenched in future generations.</blockquote>&nbsp;Negative interest ratesCentral banks, of course, cannot directly set the interest rates at commercial banks. Some suggest that even if a central bank sets a negative interest rate, this <a href="https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/what-are-negative-interest-rates/#:~:text=Other%20countries%20and%20regions%20have,to%20the%20COVID%2D19%20pandemic." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">need not translate</a> to negative interest rates for private account holders. Nonetheless, it is clear from what Vlieghe says that he anticipates that there will be a knock-on effect.As the <a href="https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/fandd/issues/2020/03/what-are-negative-interest-rates-basics" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">International Monetary Fund</a> (IMF) has already noted, negative interest rates present banks with a problem: Savers may decide to withdraw their money and tuck it under the mattress:<blockquote>When rates go below zero, banks may be reluctant to pass on the negative interest rates to their depositors by charging fees on their savings for fear that they will withdraw their deposits … This could in turn lower bank profitability and undermine financial system stability.</blockquote>Vlieghe would perhaps prefer to have the option of taxing cash:<blockquote>... it is rather impractical to either pay or charge interest on cash...</blockquote>Since that is not an option, the solution he proposes is to coerce people to keep their money in the bank—which becomes possible if cash withdrawals are banned by moving to a completely digitalized economy:<blockquote>... central banks, including the Bank of England, are considering a move to central bank issued digital currency (CBDC), [and so] this constraint [of being unable to tax cash] can potentially be moved more easily in the future. If digitisation becomes sufficiently widespread so that cash is used much less, this opens up the possibility of having more deeply negative interest rates in the distant future, without causing any negative effect on bank profits…</blockquote>&nbsp;Other measures—demographicsVlieghe notes, as many before him have also done, that a combination of a decreased birth rate and longer average lifespan presents modern economies with certain difficulties.<blockquote>The three key variables here are the birth rate, longevity, and the time spent in retirement.</blockquote>“Pushing up the birth rate” in order to provide central banks with greater leeway in managing the economy he dismisses as “too radical an option.” In any case, he adds, “higher population growth has other [undesirable] consequences, in particular related to climate change...”“Lowering longevity,” he continues, “well, I am going to rule that out as a policy option for obvious reasons.”<blockquote>That leaves us with reducing the time spent in retirement, which should be on the table. Many countries, including the UK, are already slowly raising their retirement age ... The question is whether it can be increased more, sooner.</blockquote>

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Corporate Fascism

Higher inflation, negative interest on savings, later retirement all promoted for the 'good of the economy'

A glimpse into the mind of a central banker

<h2>Move over book burning, hello de-platforming?</h2>Closed out of your Facebook or Instagram account? Maybe your website suddenly disappeared, or your YouTube channel was demonetized or deleted? Perhaps you lost access to thousands of hours of posts and videos you produced, and your years of work were gone in an instant? That's de-platforming; the modern version of book burning, a “punishment” for going against the mainstream narrative. And, the censorship doesn't stop with social media, it includes PayPal accounts and more.<h3>Getting up again</h3>How do individuals who went afoul of the globalists, who didn't keep quiet and let others do their thinking for them, respond when they find themselves de-platformed by social media companies and other services? Here's what London Real's Brian Rose, Americas Frontline Doctor founder Dr. Simone Gold, and independent researcher James Roguski did to pick themselves up and continue their work despite the heavy-handed censorship they experienced.Brian RoseWhen London Real YouTuber Brian Rose publicly began trying to understand COVID-19 and its countermeasures, he soon found his entire life seemingly deleted from the internet by the social media giants.&nbsp;Not only did he lose all his years of work, amounting to thousands of videos which he had uploaded to the internet. He also lost access to his Paypal account, and more, because in his search for the truth about the pandemic; his counter-narrative interviews with David Icke were too dangerous for the globalists to allow. &nbsp;In his below documentary, Rose&nbsp;recounts his experiences and how he ultimately started a channel of his own. He explains that he was wholly unprepared for what happened on May 3, 2020, even though he knew that many would want to stop the interview (@about 3:36):<blockquote>Over the past few weeks, our entire world has been transformed. Everything we took for granted has now been taken away and our freedoms have been replaced with fear. All those rights we fought centuries for have been handed over without a second thought.&nbsp;We all process fear in different ways. I cope by immersing myself in my work and today my job is to ask questions. One million people will be watching and they all want answers.&nbsp;Countless others are trying to stop this from happening. At any moment they can walk through that door or lock this broadcast. I'm scared but I don't know what else to do. I prepared my whole life for a moment like This. But nothing would prepare me for what happened next. . .</blockquote>&nbsp;<div class="raw-html-embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">WATCH THE MOVIE THAT YouTube DOES NOT Want YOU TO SEE (and SHARE IT Far And Wide ) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LondonReal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LondonReal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeWillNotBeSilenced?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WeWillNotBeSilenced</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StopCensorship?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StopCensorship</a> <a href="https://t.co/txcVpjPDWz">https://t.co/txcVpjPDWz</a>— Brian Rose, Founder &amp; Host of London Real (@LondonRealTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/LondonRealTV/status/1796285778517221575?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>&nbsp;Dr. Simone GoldDr. Simone Gold, founder of <a href="https://www.aflds.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">America's Frontline Doctors</a>, was one of the first doctors to understand that how she was being told to treat COVID patients wasn't normal. Very alarmed at what was taking place she, along with other doctors, held the “<a href="https://www.whitecoatsummit.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">White Coat Summit</a>” on July 27, 2020, as well as a press conference on the Supreme Court steps. As she tweeted below, the press conference went viral, garnering millions of views before Big Tech and Big Media took the video down.She concluded by explaining their purpose and the result:<blockquote>Our fight was to show America the propaganda vs the truth, and then we were censored.</blockquote>&nbsp;<div class="raw-html-embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Our press conference in front of the Supreme Court on July 27th, 2020 was a turning point in the fight against COVID Tyranny. After 20 million views in 8 hours, Big Tech colluded to wipe the video from online platforms. We knew in this moment that we would win the fight. <a href="https://t.co/9CP0Ogpnfp">pic.twitter.com/9CP0Ogpnfp</a>— Dr. Simone Gold (@drsimonegold) <a href="https://twitter.com/drsimonegold/status/1610416861723729921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Dr. Gold continues to <a href="https://aflds.org/about-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">advance</a> the mission of America's Frontline Doctors, to protect medical freedom and civil liberties.'James RoguskiIndependent researcher James Roguski who, <a href="http://jamesroguski.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">according</a> to his website, has been calling out lies and propaganda for decades, found years of work gone when the company that hosted most of his websites terminated his account for what they said were “terms of service” violations. It did not deter him from continuing his work, either.<blockquote>They deleted many of my websites, but they ignited my passion to burn even brighter. I now have most of my work on Substack.&nbsp;</blockquote>Roguski is interested in building a holistic alternative to the WHO and <a href="https://jamesroguski.substack.com/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">recruits</a> others to join him.<blockquote>The old system is crumbling, and I intend to help speed its demise, but we must build its replacement quickly.If you are fed up with the government, hospital, medical, pharmaceutical, media, industrial complex and would like to help , then feel free to contact me directly anytime.</blockquote>&nbsp;The information contained in this article is for educational and information purposes only and is not intended as health, medical, financial or legal advice. Always consult a physician, lawyer or other qualified professional regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition, health objectives, or legal issues.&nbsp;Related articles:<ul><li><a href="https://frontline.news/post/covid-sceptics-won-out-globalists-fear-an-increasingly-disbelieving-public" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">'COVID skeptics won out' — Globalists fear an increasingly disbelieving public</a></li><li><a href="https://frontline.news/post/colorado-governor-signs-off-on-bill-establishing-state-ministry-of-truth-students-atarget-of-new-law">Colorado governor signs off on bill establishing state 'ministry of truth'? Students a target of new law</a></li></ul>

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Censorship

Globalism

How three individuals got up again after being de-platformed

Who's afraid of Big Bad Tech? 

A British vigilante group known as the “Blade Runners” is receiving widespread support from British taxpayers as it continues to destroy climate surveillance cameras across London.<h2>The ULEZ mandate</h2>By order of London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the city is peppered with ultra-low emission zones (ULEZs), areas accessible only to low-emission vehicles. Cars that do not meet the city’s environmental standards are charged £12.50 ($16) for entering the ULEZ. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras positioned around the zones read license plates and check them against the vehicles’ make and model in real time. If a vehicle does not meet the environmental threshold, a fine is levied against the car owner.&nbsp;The ULEZ climate mandate has drawn heavy&nbsp;<a href="https://frontline.news/post/london-hundreds-protest-against-climate-mandates">protests</a> from residents, including&nbsp;<a href="https://frontline.news/post/british-veteran-launches-hunger-strike-as-unrest-grows-over-climate-mandates">hunger strikes</a> and refusals to pay fines. Taxpayers have also taken to disabling the ANPR surveillance cameras which Transport for London (TfL), the city’s transportation department, said will be used both for climate and law enforcement.<h2>Taxpayers cheer the ‘Blade Runners’</h2>Since the climate restrictions were expanded last year, the Blade Runners have taken to disabling and destroying hundreds of cameras. Between April and September 2023, Metropolitan Police recorded 200 reports of cameras being stolen and 595 reports of cameras being vandalized.TfL began placing black boxes around ULEZ camera wirings to protect them from being cut, but taxpayers found other ways to disable the cameras — like removing them completely.<div class="raw-html-embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"> MUST SEE: Blade Runners topple THREE ULEZ cameras in a coordinated strike… The people are fighting back! <a href="https://t.co/Yvr2Xr7Lun">pic.twitter.com/Yvr2Xr7Lun</a>— David Morgan #StayFree (@david_r_morgan) <a href="https://twitter.com/david_r_morgan/status/1802726912050995623?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In response, the city&nbsp;<a href="https://frontline.news/post/london-taxpayers-attack-surveillance-vans-in-continued-revolt">deployed</a> mobile surveillance vans mounted with ANPR cameras across London in the hopes of evading attacks, but Blade Runners soon began targeting those as well. Some surveillance vans have been spotted covered in graffiti with their tires slashed, while others have been completely covered in tarp.Last month, 21 cameras were destroyed in the hours after Sadiq Khan was re-elected mayor of London, the&nbsp;Daily Mail&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13538797/Moment-Blade-Runner-uses-power-tool-cut-ULEZ-camera-traffic-light-latest-attack-Sadiq-Khans-hated-scheme.html">reported</a>. Last weekend, Blade Runners used power tools to topple a ULEZ camera and traffic lights to the delight of some fellow taxpayers. In a video that was posted to social media, passing cars can be heard honking in support.The video received over 37,000 likes. Comments on the post were largely supportive, with users writing that, “When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty,” and “Fair play to them, it's a complete scam that does nothing.”Blade Runner Matt Hardy told the&nbsp;Daily Mail&nbsp;that the Blade Runners are “people pissed off about the tyranny reigning over us and getting out and doing things about it – real votes, real boys here.”<h2>‘These cameras are not about the climate. They are about control’</h2>British actor and influencer Laurence Fox said this week he was just given back his electronic devices by police after being arrested earlier this year for cheering on the Blade Runners:<blockquote>These cameras are not about the climate. They are about control. They are the primary infrastructure for all sorts of things that ideologues like the midget dictator [Sadiq Khan] would like to impose upon us.I can now finally say the word ‘Bladerunners’ again. One of the ridiculous restrictions on free speech imposed by the police.It’s a dreadful shame to see so many of these cameras dying suddenly. I’m not at all thrilled about it. Just because I am smiling like a Cheshire Cat, it doesn’t mean that I am over the moon that these scameras continue to topple in high winds.&nbsp;Vive la résistance!</blockquote><div class="raw-html-embed"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">POLICE UPDATE Following 6 coppers bursting into my house earlier this year to arrest me for saying how pleased I was that the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ULEZ?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ULEZ</a> scam was meeting such robust resistance, this morning the <a href="https://twitter.com/metpoliceuk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@metpoliceuk</a> were ordered by the magistrate to hand back all my devices, including my…— Laurence Fox (@LozzaFox) <a href="https://twitter.com/LozzaFox/status/1803030521095622912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div> &nbsp;

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Pushback_Resistance

Climate Change

‘Pissed off about the tyranny reigning over us’

British taxpayers cheer vigilante group destroying climate cams

Fisker is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the electric vehicle (EV) company announced Tuesday.<h2>‘Like other companies in the electric vehicle industry’</h2>“Fisker has made incredible progress since our founding, bringing the Ocean SUV to market twice as fast as expected in the auto industry and making good on our promises to deliver the most sustainable vehicle in the world,” a spokesperson <a href="https://assets.ctfassets.net/cghen8gr8e1n/6W19OiEBJDVIFVEmo4feHA/df902c5cb2b067251a300efb0b35f611/Fisker-Filing-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a>.The California-based company added it is not the only EV maker that has been struggling to stay in business.“We are proud of our achievements, and we have put thousands of Fisker Ocean SUVs in customers’ hands in both North American [sic] and Europe. But like other companies in the electric vehicle industry, we have faced various market and macroeconomic headwinds that have impacted our ability to operate efficiently. After evaluating all options for our business, we determined that proceeding with a sale of our assets under Chapter 11 is the most viable path forward for the company.”Fisker’s collapse is the latest indication that the EV industry is folding due to sinking demand. Other EV industry players are also cutting their losses as they jump ship.<h2>Hertz</h2>In March, Hertz CEO Stephen Scherr&nbsp;<a href="https://www.motorfinanceonline.com/news/hertz-ceo-resigns-amid-ev-investment-setback/#:~:text=Scherr's%20departure%20coincides%20with%20Hertz's,electric%20vehicle%20(EV)%20rentals">resigned</a> after his bet on EVs cost the car rental giant its biggest quarterly loss since 2020. Hertz had been praised by the Biden administration for its ambition to convert 25% of its fleet to EVs by the end of this year. In January, however, the company announced it would instead be selling its 20,000 EVs — including Teslas — at heavily discounted prices and replacing them with gas-powered cars.<h2>Mercedes-Benz</h2>Mercedes-Benz also recently had to give up its ambition to only sell electric cars by 2030. Instead, EVs are expected to make up only 50% of the German carmaker’s sales over the next decade.<h2>Apple</h2>In February, Apple abandoned its multi-billion dollar effort to create an electric car. Despite being a decade in the works and employing 2,000 people, Project Titan was axed due to falling consumer demand.<h2>Aston Martin</h2>A lack of consumer demand is also partly to blame for Aston Martin&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13138123/Aston-Martin-puts-brakes-new-electric-supercar-2026-bosses-say-drivers-want-engines-throaty-roar.html">placing</a> its battery-operated “supercar” on hold until 2026.“Demand, certainly at an Aston Martin price point, is not what we thought it was going to be two years ago,” said Aston Martin Executive Chairman Lawrence Stroll.&nbsp;<h2>Ford</h2>In December, Ford slashed production of its flagship EV at its assembly plant in Dearborn, Michigan by half. The automaker cut the monthly production quote for the all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup truck from 3,200 units to 1,600 units per month.<h2>Biden administration continues to force EV production</h2>Nevertheless, the Biden administration in March issued new climate mandates aimed at forcing more EV production. The new rules from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) contain tight emissions standards that will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/epa-electric-vehicles-emissions-limits-climate-biden-e6d581324af51294048df24269b5d20a">require</a> 56% of new vehicle sales to be fully electric by 2032, with an additional 13% required to be hybrids.

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US News

Biden administration continues to force EV production

Electric car company files bankruptcy as EV market folds

For the last two years, British authorities have been testing AI-powered emotion recognition cameras on travelers in train stations, according to recently disclosed documents.<h2>What can the cameras see?</h2>In each of eight train stations around the UK, five to seven cameras or sensors scan the passing crowds. Using AI software from Amazon, the cameras use object recognition algorithms to spot criminal activity, trespassing, weapons, wet floors, overcrowding, and overstuffed trash cans.&nbsp;They can also alert authorities when passengers engage in “unusual behavior,” such as shouting, running, smoking, or skateboarding.&nbsp;A combination of existing cameras and newly installed smart cameras are being used for the surveillance project. All are equipped with Amazon’s Rekognition surveillance system.<h2>Emotional recognition</h2>Through a combination of facial and behavioral analyses, the Rekognition software allows officials to also <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/amazon-ai-cameras-emotions-uk-train-passengers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">analyze visitors’ emotions</a>. Internal documents note that the cameras can detect whether a passenger is “happy, sad [or] angry.” They can also recognize passenger satisfaction, which “could be utilized to maximum advertising and retail revenue.”<h2>Anti-social behavior</h2>Authorities can also detect passengers who exhibit “anti-social behaviour,” which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/asb/asb/antisocial-behaviour/what-is-antisocial-behaviour/">according</a> to London’s Metropolitan Police Service means “behaviour by a person which causes, or is likely to cause, harassment, alarm or distress to persons not of the same household as the person.”<h2>Social distancing, face masks, and demographics</h2>Other&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24757655-usecases_dpas_review_managed_stations?responsive=1&amp;title=1">use cases</a> for the surveillance cameras include detecting whether passengers are keeping to social distancing rules and wearing face masks. The cameras can also scan for demographics by identifying people’s age profiles and “socio-economic classification,” which the documents note can create “revenue opportunities for better targeted advertising and product placement.”<h2>‘Quite a concerning step’</h2>The documents were obtained by Big Brother Watch, a civil rights and government watchdog group, in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. Network Rail, a body within the Department of Transportation which manages most of the country’s train network, has been overseeing the surveillance project.&nbsp;“The rollout and normalization of AI surveillance in these public spaces, without much consultation and conversation, is quite a concerning step,” Jake Hurfurt, head of research and investigations at Big Brother Watch,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/amazon-ai-cameras-emotions-uk-train-passengers/">told</a> Wired.As of now, the surveillance systems do not use facial recognition technology, which analyzes faces and matches them against facial images stored in certain databases.

A glimpse into the mind of a central banker

Higher inflation, negative interest on savings, later retirement all promoted for the 'good of the economy'

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