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American Airlines Has Cameras in Their Screens Too

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121–130 of 233 posts

Re: American Airlines Has Cameras in Their Screens Too

#121
post #2

How can you have privacy concerns in a completely public space?

Imagine if cameras could read your retinas and identify you like in Minority Report ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bXJ_obaiYQ ). Though we're not there yet, facial recognition tech is almost ready for something similar.

In this case wouldn't that point be irrelevant? Generally airlines have assigned seating and they already have validation of your identity from the booking information.

Re: American Airlines Has Cameras in Their Screens Too

#122

I flew on a plane similar to the one cited in the article this past Monday. It was a late night flight and I turned the screen off to try and sleep, only to have the screen turn itself back on (and disable the power button) to show me advertisements. Between this and "smart" TVs that secretly surveil the end user, I'm not optimistic about the future of humane consumer electronics.

Should’ve grabbed keys or something sharp and scratched the screen.

Re: American Airlines Has Cameras in Their Screens Too

#123

To me this is just a distraction. Yes there's a hardware camera. I will bet some money that they have not been used nefariously by AA or SQ. Some are raging about the non-existant theoretical privacy violation (again, not 100% non-existant, but I will bet money there's no surveillance through this camera), meanwhile we are ignoring actual privacy violations being done by e.g. Facebook or Twitter, or the millions of a…

meanwhile we are ignoring actual privacy violations being done by e.g. Facebook or Twitter, or the millions of ad networks I'm not sure who you think is ignoring these issues. They're in the mainstream news, and on HN almost every day.

That's really on the people. Reality is that no one forces anyone to use Facebook or twitter for that matter, even though in many ways the latter is almost becoming a necessity and therefore there is also an argument for Twitter violating the Constitution by censoring anyone in what is a de facto public space, as has been established by the court ordered ban of the president blocking users.

Re: American Airlines Has Cameras in Their Screens Too

#124
post #100

It's ironic that in the book 1984 all the citizens have hidden cameras in their TVs. Today, in 2019, all the citizens have non-hidden cameras and microphones in pretty much every electronic device they use. We also have the customary day of rage, where we all direct our collective rage at some political opponent. Don't get me started on the butchering of the English language...

Sorry to nitpick but the cameras in the TVs in 1984 where not hidden. They even had a speaker and the government was able to talk directly to an individual through them. The problem there, and here, is people don't really care.

Except people do care, as evidenced by the fact that this is even an article about a controversy in the first place.

Re: American Airlines Has Cameras in Their Screens Too

#125
post #98

To me this is just a distraction. Yes there's a hardware camera. I will bet some money that they have not been used nefariously by AA or SQ. Some are raging about the non-existant theoretical privacy violation (again, not 100% non-existant, but I will bet money there's no surveillance through this camera), meanwhile we are ignoring actual privacy violations being done by e.g. Facebook or Twitter, or the millions of a…

You being willing to bet money gives me little confidence.

I'm not sure what you're trying to convey with your comment.

Do you have reason to believe otherwise? If so, you should take the bet. Otherwise, readers have no reason to believe someone who isn't willing to put their money over their mouth is, over someone who is. Especially if you don't even bother to give reasons for your belief.

Re: American Airlines Has Cameras in Their Screens Too

#126
post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Using WiFi would be very surprising for most content, but it would be interesting to have live TV on aircraft.

Delta has live tv but I think it comes in from a non-WiFi path because it seems to come and independently of the WiFi service.

It's definitely satellite TV. Some planes have been outfitted with it since JetBlue debuted it in like 2000.

Re: American Airlines Has Cameras in Their Screens Too

#127
post #120

What's the big deal, though? Its not like these devices are in your home -- they are in a public space that is well known to be heavily surveiled. So I guess, even in the worst case scenario where these cameras were recording you, what is so different from the other 500x camera FOVs you step into during your journey? What am I missing?

An airport is a public space. A plane seat is semi-private or at least has always had that expectation. And given that it was placed there by the people owning the plane, it is well within the bounds of what passengers can expect to demand changed by said owners.

Re: American Airlines Has Cameras in Their Screens Too

#128

They already take a high resolution back scatter shot of my genitals on the way in, what's a little more humiliation among friends? If they want to spend 6 hours watching me make pained expressions as I shift and turn and feel the bits that make me human slowly slip away, leaving me a crippled, grunting inhuman beast by the time I get out of the aluminum can full of other peoples farts, I guess they are welcome to it…

I've yet to go through any of these machines since they were implemented. I have opted out every flight, every time.

Re: American Airlines Has Cameras in Their Screens Too

#130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly. Also, it’s techbcially “private” space which means they can record you, but there needs to be a notice somewhere. I’m sure there’s something hidden in the air passenger terms of service or whatever, but still!

It's interesting how the expectation of privacy varies from person to person! Since members of the general public are in close proximity I generally wouldn't consider an airplane cabin a place where I could have a reasonable expectation of privacy. In places that are intentionally restricted from view by others, like my own home, a hotel room, etc. I'd have an expectation of privacy.

Sure -- but that also depends on your class of cabin, your flight length, all kinds of things.

I fly a lot for work (I'm already at 67k miles flown for 2019 -- that's actual miles not airline miles (so that 67k is lower than my status miles)) and for anything over 6 hours or so, I fly business (unless I get an upgrade on a short-haul) and have had 6 flights over 10 hours this year, where I tend to have a lay flat bed and attempt to sleep. So I DO sleep on flights. Quite a bit (my flight to/from Australia was great, largely because I slept 9 of the 14 hours the first leg and 7 of the 13 hours the second).

I'd be just as freaked out if someone was recording me sleeping on an airplane in a ticket I paid $10k for as if I was when a hotel employee knocked once and then barged into my room in Sao Paulo back in December while I was changing into my pajamas. (And I was plenty mad at the WTC Sheraton for that!)

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