Mapping the enemy: Politics’ new weapon

last updated 8 January 2015

California’s most controversial new map doesn’t lead to the secluded homes of movie stars, said Jesse McKinley in The New York Times. Instead, it identifies the addresses of donors who supported Proposition 8, the referendum that outlawed same-sex marriage in California. Gay activists created the map by combining Google’s satellite mapping technology with publicly available campaign records listing Proposition 8 donors who contributed $100 or more. These donors, along with conservative groups, are outraged, saying the map invades their privacy and makes them “vulnerable” to retribution. Indeed, some supporters claim to have endured “death threats,” violence, or harassment, leading one anti–gay marriage group to file suit to prevent a scheduled disclosure of more Prop 8 contributor data. “Giving these people a map to your home or office leaves supporters of Proposition 8 feeling especially vulnerable,” says Frank Schubert, campaign manager for Protect Marriage, which supported the referendum. “Really, it is chilling.”

You don’t have to oppose gay marriage to find this “creepy,” said Rod Dreher in Beliefnet.com. What if similar personal information were available online about gay-marriage supporters who lived in communities hostile to gay rights? “Would you want some gay-bashing group to post to the Internet a map to the homes of contributors to a pro–gay marriage initiative?” Should racist vigilantes be allowed to post “a Google map to the homes of donors” to Muslim causes? This isn’t simply “a case of the truth setting people free.” The sole purpose of making this information public is to chase people “out of the public square in fear for their property and their personal safety.”

Stepping into the public arena is never a private act, said Andrew Sullivan in TheAtlantic.com. Political participation sometimes requires the courage of your convictions. “If Prop 8 supporters truly feel that barring equality for gay couples is vital for saving civilization, shouldn’t they be proud of their financial support?” There’s no question that political donations should be publicly disclosed, said Kevin Drum in MotherJones.com. But technology has altered the privacy equation in ways we’re just now beginning to understand. “It probably required little more than a few hours of coding to create a map that identified every Prop 8 donor in the state.” Every aggrieved interest group and angry partisan will now follow suit, filling the Internet with specific Enemies Lists “practically begging to be abused by some nutball.” Perhaps there’s such a thing as too much transparency.