How many times have we heard an argument that boiled down to whom we believe, rather than the use of data to show what happened? "He said, She said ..." is the oldest form of disagreement and denial of one's actions (or words) is the most frequently used defense. The Alibi would go a long ways towards resolving the facts of an event, although it may not clarify the motivations or intent of the participants.

I expect that most folks would be unwilling to wear The Alibi themselves. In my limited conversations with friends on the topic, not a single one would be willing to wear the device. However, all would support the requirement that elected officials or employees granted power over other citizens (such as police officers) must use the device.

Sound
With today's electronic storage device and sound compression technologies, it is possible to build an in-body device that will record everything a person says or hears for an entire lifespan of 100 years. No out-of-body equipment would be required.

Video
We can likewise capture everything a person sees 24/7, but the solution must include out-of-body technology. Future in-body solutions are projected.

Legality
Even if we had The Alibi, it means we'd be recording privileged information given to us by business associates and friends. So what are the legal issues that must be solved in order for an individual to record everything - regardless of source - that is heard? Under what circumstances could the owner be forced to present the recording. This is probably the single largest hurdle for deployment of The Alibi.

Ethics
With the information in hand, under what circumstances would it be ethical to release the information, particularly where privileged information from friends and associates is involved?

Society
Would The Alibi be a furtherance of an Orwellian Big Brother society? Would citizens feel more threatened or would instead they feel the liberation the comes with knowing false testimony against them would be virtually impossible?

Hacking the System
How can The Alibi be secured? Even if the recording is safe, what are the ways in which the system would fail to clarify the truth of an event? And if the The Alibi were a legal requirement, how can the recording be made secure from the person being recorded?

Participation
I welcome comments, suggestions, critique, analysis, reactions - any type of response you care to give.

Credit
I give full credit to Robert J. Sawyer for the concept, as explored in his book "Hominids". I just happen to think it's a device which can be selectively (and voluntarily) used to improve our lives by exposing criminal and questionable behavior in the same way that newspapers help preserve our freedoms.