BY THE VILLAGE SUN | Surveillance is a major issue for all of us nowadays — but especially for some in Gen Z, it seems.
The children of Gen X, these young surveillance sleuths say their investigations have uncovered a shocking, umm… “truth”? Namely, that pigeons are not birds after all — no, but actually drones that are spying on our each and every move, harvesting our private data for the government.
As a result, they’re flocking to Washington Square Park — no, not the pigeons, which are already there in droves, the Gen Z’ers — Sunday afternoon for a protest in what they see as a surveillance hot spot.
According to the U.K. site Pigeons Aren’t Real, the phony-avian invasion may have started in the U.S. as far back as the Ronald Reagan administration.
Locally, Sunday’s “formal protest against Bird Drone Surveillance” in Greenwich Village is being organized by the Birds Aren’t Real movement.
“New York City is the most heavily surveilled area in the entire nation, with millions of pigeons watching citizens daily,” the group’s event posters state. “Join us in the streets to let Mayor Adams know we will not stand for this any longer.”
For updates on the bird-drone situation, check the Birds Aren’t Real group’s Instagram page.
I am incapable of distinguishing satire from earnestness at this point.
If birds were real then why would they have to make the NSA as a cover story? Why would they make us all have phones with poor security around app permissions and not pass a national data privacy law if they didn’t have to cover up that they know so much about us via the birds? At least in Europe the birds are governed by a data protection act with uniform standards across the continent. Let’s catch up with the rest of the world and pass bird data regulation now.
The whole pigeon thing is a joke. Conspiracy theory. Some people will fall for it. Infuriating. Roberto, make sure you’re not one of them.
I’m going to make sure my children are aware of this national issue. There are dark powers behind this. I know it.
It’s a viral thing. What’s sad is it makes fun — and detracts from — real concerns over loss of privacy.