When the government spies on it's own people

It's bad enough that the FBI, CIA and other 'law enforcement' and 'intelligence' agencies turn their attention to American citizens.

Local law enforcement is also using technology and spying on their own constituents as well.

From street light cameras to parking lot cameras and now internet technology like Google Earth.

It's all seemingly innocuous, so they would have have you believe.

The biggest 'protections' American citizens have is that we cannot incriminate ourselves.  We are entitled to a reasonable level of privacy.  We are presumed innocent until "proven" guilty.

People have taken measures to ensure their privacy, such as building privacy fences.  This is to have privacy when they want to work or play on their own private property, swim, sunbathe, etc...

When you put a privacy fence up, you are declaring to those around you that prying eyes are not appreciated AND that you are trying to be considerate of passersby and neighbors sensibilities and show off your private activities for all to see.

It is a responsible thing to do and should be respected.

Still, people will take steps to invade that privacy, such as trying to find or create holes to see through, climbing up and looking over the top, using a camera from a higher level of a neighboring building, with telephoto lenses, etc.. 

These most often are, and should be, punished by courts because they are blatant examples of deliberately invading others privacy.

What about when the local government uses a satellite image to investigate residents private property intentionally looking for things they can fine and ticket residents for?

Isn't that the same as someone peering over the top of a fence or peering down from a nearby balcony?

It's very easy to hide behind the excuse of 'protecting' people from themselves  and others.

The problem is that people really don't need that much protecting.  Especially when it comes to using invasive methods and technologies to acquire information.