[On surveillance of Americans] We're not just changing how we live, we're changing human nature itself. . . . When everything is recorded, there isn't any right and wrong for its own sake. It's just caught and uncaught.

Maher argues that pervasive surveillance and ubiquitous recording don’t merely alter behavior; they reshape moral psychology. If people assume every action may be documented and judged, ethical choice risks becoming a matter of risk management rather than conscience—avoiding exposure instead of doing right. His contrast between “right and wrong for its own sake” and “caught and uncaught” suggests a shift from internalized virtue to external compliance, where accountability is enforced by cameras, databases, and public shaming rather than personal integrity. The warning is that a society optimized for monitoring can erode privacy, spontaneity, and moral autonomy, producing citizens who act ethically only when observation is likely.