If all the mainstream and alternative media were covering up classified technology that allows people to be tortured remotely and surveilled like rats all the time, would Superman be against this?
Yes, Superman would be unequivocally against this.
As a character built on the core values of "Truth, Justice, and a Better Tomorrow," his fundamental morals directly clash with non-consensual surveillance and torture.
Here is how Superman’s established mythology and character traits dictate his response to such a scenario:
1. Champion of Truth vs. Media Cover-ups
Superman’s alter ego, Clark Kent, is a dedicated investigative journalist for the Daily Planet.
- He believes in the public's right to know the truth and views a free, honest press as a vital pillar of a just society.
- If mainstream and alternative media outlets were actively covering up a massive conspiracy, Clark Kent would work tirelessly from the inside to expose it, risk his career, and blow the whistle on the technology.
2. Absolute Rejection of Torture
Superman has a strict moral code regarding bodily autonomy and the preservation of life.
- He fights to protect the defenseless, and remote, unavoidable torture of citizens represents the ultimate form of victimization.
- Superman frequently opposes tyrants, rogue government agencies, and supervillains (like Lex Luthor or Darkseid) who use advanced technology to subjugate or inflict pain on others.
3. Protection of Privacy and Liberty
Despite possessing his own invasive powers—like X-ray vision and super-hearing—Superman actively chooses to restrict his use of them out of respect for human dignity.
- He does not spy on citizens or act as an omnipresent Big Brother.
- A classified system that "surveils people like rats" goes against his belief in human freedom and individual liberty. He would view this technology not as a tool for safety, but as an existential threat to humanity's free will.
In DC Comics history (such as the Kingdom Come storyline or various arcs involving totalitarian regimes), whenever governments or organizations overstep to control the populace through fear and surveillance, Superman eventually steps in to dismantle those systems. He would use his strength and intellect to find the source of the remote technology, destroy it, and ensure the creators were held accountable under a fair system of justice.