'Big Brother' is Burrowed Deeper into our Lives Than You Thought

Try to imagine you're just driving along obeying speed laws when a policeman suddenly appears behind you and signals for you to pull over.

The officer appears at your side of the vehicle, and he is accompanied by two masked men with assault rifles and protective vests who all want you to get out while holding both arms straight up. You're being treated like a criminal without rights as the masked men tear apart your vehicle looking for illegal narcotics.

As this is going on you're being peppered with questions. The officer checks your driver's ID and proof of vehicle insurance before finally explaining why you were stopped.

"We had reason to believe you were smuggling drugs."

"What?" you ask. "Why?"

"There were some questionable transactions in your bank account, and you were flagged by the Department of Homeland Security's CBP initiative that analyzes bulk data."

"Bulk data, eh? What do you have? A secret center for spying on Americans?"

"It's all perfectly legal under Trump's Transaction Record Analysis Center (TRAC) database. Here's your license. You've been cleared. Have a good day."

Of course, it wouldn't be that smooth if you were really pulled over. You'd be sitting in a stinking jail cell while they investigated you which could take hours or even days.

Thanks to 404 Media a secretive U.S. Customs and Border Protection unit has been exposed. Drivers who are not suspected of any specific crime face aggressive interrogation and vehicle searches when local law enforcement initiate a "pretext stop," using a minor traffic infraction as the legal excuse for pulling you over. 

Special Predictive Units analyze data - including your financial habits and transaction history. The program blends data broker intelligence with traditional roadside enforcement. 

TRAC has illegally amassed over 145 million records of bulk money transfers (such as Western Union data) sent by ordinary citizens, allowing law enforcement expansive, warrantless access to personal financial transactions. 

As it Stands, the really scary part of this program is that it's undoubtably tied to other secret agencies that are stripping away our freedoms in the shadows.