Forensics

This interactive map shows you whether police departments near you are using facial recognition, drones, body cameras, and other surveillance tech

Despite Americans' reverence for freedom and liberty, it's virtually impossible for even law-abiding citizens to avoid being constantly watched by their government. And law enforcement agencies, aided by newer and more advanced technologies, are keeping a closer eye on them than ever before.

There are 50 million security cameras in the US — one for every six people, more per capita than in China — according to Precise Security. A government watchdog found the FBI's facial recognition database contains more than 641 million images. Axon Enterprise, the nation's largest supplier of body cameras, recently told investors that the company is eyeing an $11 billion market.

And in a recent privacy assessment, the US Customs and Border Protection acknowledged that it's "unrealistic" for Americans to avoid being tracked by its network of license plate readers.