Body cams for politicians

So this might sound a bit wild, but hear me out.

Police wear body cams to keep them accountable. They’ve got power over people, and it makes sense to have some kind of record of how they use it. But politicians — who control way more than individual lives — don’t have anything like that. They operate behind closed doors, make decisions that affect millions, and we just have to trust them?

What if we flipped that?

What if, from ministers upward, politicians had to wear 24/7 body cams during their time in office — not just at public events or “official” meetings, but all the time? Every handshake, every call, every quiet lunch with a lobbyist — recorded. The footage would be encrypted, stored securely, and only reviewed if corruption is suspected, and only by a trained, independent body (or AI with oversight).

Think of it like a black box in a plane. No one touches it unless something goes wrong. No livestreams, no public humiliation — just a system that says: if you’re in power, you’re visible.

And here’s the key part: once their term ends, the footage is wiped. Unless there’s an active investigation, it’s gone. No long-term spying. No permanent surveillance. Just temporary accountability while they hold public power.

I know it sounds extreme, but is it really?
We’re tracked more than they are — and we’re not the ones writing laws or taking donations from oil companies.

So I’m putting it out there.

Is this fair?

Would it actually reduce corruption, or just make it sneakier?

Would anyone decent ever agree to hold office again?

And if they wouldn’t… maybe that says something too.

Curious what you all think. Please, if find the idea interesting, share it with your friends, bring it up in conversations, discuss it.