In the US, Infragard (www.infragard.net) deputies apparently have the right to “shoot to kill” in the event of the declaration of martial law in the US. The company and its deputies also seem to have access to information before the general public, giving organizations like the ACLU the willies because of the priority and elitism involved.
This program, according to the ACLU, is equivalent to a private TIPS campaign, where companies, having access to the information on millions of consumers, not only have the opportunity to spill it over to the FBI without question, but possibly also the obligation. From the ACLU:
“The FBI should not be creating a privileged class of Americans who get special treatment,” says Jay Stanley, public education director of the ACLU’s technology and liberty program. “There’s no ‘business class’ in law enforcement. If there’s information the FBI can share with 22,000 corporate bigwigs, why don’t they just share it with the public? That’s who their real ‘special relationship’ is supposed to be with. Secrecy is not a party favor to be given out to friends. . . . This bears a disturbing resemblance to the FBI’s handing out ‘goodies’ to corporations in return for folding them into its domestic surveillance machinery.”