Operators of illegal marijuana grow enterprises hidden inside rural homes in Maine don’t have to worry much about prying neighbors. But their staggering electric bills may give rise to a new snitch.
An electric utility made an unusual proposal to help law enforcement target these illicit operations, which are being investigated for ties to transnational crime. Critics, however, worry the move would violate customers’ privacy.
More than a dozen states that legalized marijuana have seen a spike in illegal marijuana grow operations that utilize massive amounts of electricity. And Maine’s Versant Power has been receiving subpoenas — sometimes for 50 locations at a time — from law enforcement, said Arrian Myrick-Stockdell, corporate counsel. It’d be far more efficient, he suggested to utility regulators, to flip the script and allow electric utilities to report their suspicions to law enforcement.
It’s the same with gmail - they scan your private messages and will snitch on you if they find something they dont like.
Back during the covid lockdown one dude was screwed because doctor asked to send a photo of the intimate parts infection of his infant son.
Google called the police, police raided him immediately.
Who knows what will they do next - send your private finance data to IRS? Your correspondence with lawyers? Everything goes apparently.
Use encrypted alternatives if you want to be safe.