In four years Kentucky residents can look forward to better Internet service. Steve Beshear and his administration recently proposed the KentuckyWired project. The plan seeks to produce an increased amount of broadband fiber throughout the state by late 2018 as part of an attempt to spur economic growth and improve lagging Internet speeds. Like most radical changes, questions regarding privacy and bureaucratic snooping have been raised. Privacy advocates argue that Kentucky needs strict policies in the form of legislation to safeguard against government abuses.
Berin Szoka, president of TechFreedom, a libertarian think tank based in Washington D.C., warns that the state’s approach to infrastructure creates potential for government to filter, control and spy on cell phone traffic and household Internet use. “I’m sure people will try in good faith to restrain access, I just don’t really trust that will work,” Szoka said.