There’s been a great deal of backlash against Flock cameras, with constant vandalism and numerous reports of crooked cops misusing them, leading to more and more communities to cancel their contracts. While Flock has received the most backlash, there are other ALPR companies out there. Rather than ending their use of technology that spies on you, and in a move that doesn’t really solve the problems associated with mass surveillance, some departments that have dropped Flock have simply switched to other companies that do the same thing, reports NPR.
One of those competitors is Axon. If that name sounds familiar, it’s probably because you’ve seen it displayed on body cam videos, since Axon is the leading supplier of body cams to law enforcement, according to The Intercept. After a bit of rebranding in 2017 (the same year Flock was founded), many people don’t know that Axon is the company formerly known as Taser, the electrical stun gun — another technology that police never, ever misuse.
While Flock had to develop not only its technology, but also its law enforcement contacts and clients, Axon already had the clients in its Rolodex thanks to its other products. Law enforcement agencies may be fleeing from Flock contracts like rats from a sinking ship, but they still want ALPR technology. In places like Denver, Colorado, for example, switching ALPR providers is easy when you’re getting your new camera tracking access through a supplier you likely already do business with.
San Diego approves smart streetlight cameras
San Diego police will soon be able to rely on surveillance cameras and license plate readers attached to 500 streetlights citywide, after the City Council approved their use Tuesday.
Also, we have this style, mounted high up on poles at the major intersections in my town, well out of reach of vandalism.
Yes, I know these are likely not used for the tracking people, or at least weren’t originally installed for that. But, what’s to keep them from upgrading or replacing them with ones that look the same to serve the same function as Flock cameras? No one would even notice. Sensor resolution, and optics for small cameras keeps improving.
Surely the pole it’s mounted on connects to something…?
Well, yes. Usually mounted on extensions to a traffic light pole. You’re not cutting it down with a hacksaw, at least.
Imagine this on top of a traffic light:
To be fair, there’s a lot of those that are just traffic light cameras. They look for a car to pull up before they let the lights change. Cut them down and the traffic lights stop working.
Are these like street lights where they are mounted to break-away bases? because then you just need a big wrench, no saws needed.
The nearby city had a whackadoo mayor whose plan was wifi APs at every Xth streetlight: residents could use the free city wifi while they drove down the highway.
What didn’t happen? Streetlight APs.
What happened? An amazing shift forward to laying fibre under every construction project and connecting the parts later, to cover a sizeable portion in city-owned fibre infra. They’re gonna cover everything and start connecting people.
Every time an article like this comes and you are tempted to reply to the seemingly inevitable creeping surveillance apparatus with “well, it can’t stop a paintball/hacksaw/.50 cal/etc. etc.” you need to stop.
Stop for a moment and listen to yourself. Look at the bigger picture. I admire the bravado and pushback but does this really sound like a reasonable solution to a systemic issue? That’s like saying “if I think there’s cockroaches infesting my house, I’ll just step on everyone I see” Like that is going to solve the problem.
(And honestly, are you really going to get off your lazy ass, go buy a portable angle grinder and go cut down a light pole in the middle of the night? Really? How many beers does that take?)
So, next time you want to post something like that, instead, just post a link in support to the person, be it a politician or advocate, who is willing to legislate against this encroachment of privacy.
Oh, you don’t know of any?
Well maybe that’s actually getting to the heart of the problem.
This is true everywhere, but especially in the US, if you are looking right now at current events aghast with a feeling of doom rolling over you- that is the sign.
It’s time to stop being a passive acceptor of circumstances. It’s time to act.
We have to dig political aspirants out of the woodwork and push them onto the stage. There is somebody in your area that is capable of advocating for your rights. You need to find them.
If you can’t find a local group. Start a discord, IRC, hell facebook page, what ever, just start connecting people in your town, in your neighborhood. All it takes is a few minutes a day to start.
You have to be politically active. Or else your future is going in the meat grinder. Nobody is coming to save you.
There is no group who has an interest in keeping you, your society, your children, your futures, free from fascist control. Not the DNC, not the State government, not city hall. There is only you and your friends. You have to fight for it yourselves. When the garden is left untended the weeds take over. The weeds have taken over. It’s time to return to the garden.
It can be done. The people hold all the power - Provided They Are Given A Plan of Action To Follow. You need to help craft that plan. Organizing and agitating gets results. Facts.
Stop posting bullshit on Lemmy and start posting real shit in your local advocacy group.
You do both.
As you’ve noted, we’ve unfortunately entered the era of “hard work” in defense of our own liberty. But as you’ve also noted, there’s few champions. So you can vote conscientiously, support grassroots efforts when you find them, but also maybe clip a camera pole with the work truck while you’re going about your day.
Think of it as a team building exercise.
I don’t think you can truly know a person until you’ve committed a felony or two together.
Word.
Fortunately sledgehammers and angle grinders are cross-platform compatible.
They are adamant about being able to watch us at all times. This doesn’t end with flock.
A methhead convinced of the bountiful copper inside doesn’t care about branding. All cameras = flock and flock = temporary happiness to them.
“Come on, you don’t want to be watched in the shower?”
If it looks like a flock, acts like a flock… then it’s a flock camera. Different names doesn’t mean anything. They should all go away.
They’re testing to see if we’re dumb enough to fall for such a switcheroo.
I suspect most of us are.
Inevitable. The next generation will be imperceptible and thus impossible to vandalize.
Vandalism was never a permanent solution. Accountability for local elected officials who think their constituents are idiots is the solution.
That’s OK I’m sure our reciprocating saws will work in both.
I appreciate the name of the new company being included right in the headline. I hope vigilantes get down to business cutting down these awful Jalopnik cameras!
You just wait, soon they will be replaced with Gopnik.
