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How Cops Are Using Flock's ALPR Network to Surveil Protesters and Activists

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11–20 of 95 posts

Re: How Cops Are Using Flock's ALPR Network to Surveil Protesters and Activists

#12
post #5

[flagged]

the test for this will be the mid-terms. current polls are leaning towards a correction, but polls have been so badly wrong the past several elections that I put no faith in them

Yes, the "Damned if you don't" faction is polling well against the "Damned if you do" faction currently.

Either way, we're still just making a shit sandwich and arguing over the condiments.

Re: How Cops Are Using Flock's ALPR Network to Surveil Protesters and Activists

#13
post #8
post #2

I recently contributed to https://deflock.me/ We had a local story where the gist was the police said they searched ALPR for the welfare of a young woman, but it was actually more focused on a possible abortion. [1] "Unrelated" this same Sheriff was later charged with sexual harassment, perjury, and retaliation against a witness [2]. These are the types that are able to easily track you if they wanted to. [1] https:/…

Checked out the map, there is one near me on a parking lot with this OSM data > camera:type fixed > direction 340 > man_made surveillance > surveillance:type ALPR Which results in "Operated by: Unknown, Made by: Unknown". What am I supposed to do with that info I wonder. How would I find out if it's actually Flock or if law enforcement would actually have access to this particular camera.

In my case the city had to publish their agreement with Flock and I was able to find the city council presentation showing exactly where they put the cameras, and many selling points of how great Flock is. In fact, someone else in my town had already marked them.

Obviously, this website does nothing for us, just glance up at any egress or ingress to where you live (in the US) and note you've been tracked. Or feel free to update the node with better information if you have it.

Re: How Cops Are Using Flock's ALPR Network to Surveil Protesters and Activists

#14

[flagged]

Please don't post like this to HN. Regardless of how bad a situation is or you feel it is, we need you (i.e. not you personally, but all of us) to stick to the site guidelines.

https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Re: How Cops Are Using Flock's ALPR Network to Surveil Protesters and Activists

#16
post #2

I recently contributed to https://deflock.me/ We had a local story where the gist was the police said they searched ALPR for the welfare of a young woman, but it was actually more focused on a possible abortion. [1] "Unrelated" this same Sheriff was later charged with sexual harassment, perjury, and retaliation against a witness [2]. These are the types that are able to easily track you if they wanted to. [1] https:/…

>We had a local story where the gist was the police said they searched ALPR for the welfare of a young woman, but it was actually more focused on a possible abortion.

Just to be clear, most abortions in Texas are illegal. That's not necessarily a good thing. Nor are flock cameras necessarily a good thing. But given abortions are illegal in Texas, it's simply being used for its nominal purpose.

So it doesnt seems like a particularly egregious use of flock. It's just as egregious as it normally is, which is pretty egregious.

Re: How Cops Are Using Flock's ALPR Network to Surveil Protesters and Activists

#17
post #8
post #2

I recently contributed to https://deflock.me/ We had a local story where the gist was the police said they searched ALPR for the welfare of a young woman, but it was actually more focused on a possible abortion. [1] "Unrelated" this same Sheriff was later charged with sexual harassment, perjury, and retaliation against a witness [2]. These are the types that are able to easily track you if they wanted to. [1] https:/…

Checked out the map, there is one near me on a parking lot with this OSM data > camera:type fixed > direction 340 > man_made surveillance > surveillance:type ALPR Which results in "Operated by: Unknown, Made by: Unknown". What am I supposed to do with that info I wonder. How would I find out if it's actually Flock or if law enforcement would actually have access to this particular camera.

This is because the metadata in OSM doesn't include the tags that Deflock looks for:

You can see the requirements here https://deflock.me/report/id but the two you're looking for are.

manufacturer operator

I think they should add Siemens Sicore cameras to their known camera database, but they do show up on Deflock despite not being mentioned explicitly on the website. Here is an example in one of my contributions via OSM. https://deflock.me/map#map=18/53.786783/-1.551438

Re: How Cops Are Using Flock's ALPR Network to Surveil Protesters and Activists

#18
post #2

I recently contributed to https://deflock.me/ We had a local story where the gist was the police said they searched ALPR for the welfare of a young woman, but it was actually more focused on a possible abortion. [1] "Unrelated" this same Sheriff was later charged with sexual harassment, perjury, and retaliation against a witness [2]. These are the types that are able to easily track you if they wanted to. [1] https:/…

>We had a local story where the gist was the police said they searched ALPR for the welfare of a young woman, but it was actually more focused on a possible abortion. Just to be clear, most abortions in Texas are illegal. That's not necessarily a good thing. Nor are flock cameras necessarily a good thing. But given abortions are illegal in Texas, it's simply being used for its nominal purpose. So it doesnt seems like…

The law can be utterly egregious and an affront to morality. Legal behavior can thus be an utterly egregious affront to human decency. See: Apartheid

There is no handwaving away the moral implications of these technologies, and who they empower to do what to whom.

Re: How Cops Are Using Flock's ALPR Network to Surveil Protesters and Activists

#19
In my neighborhood (a Criminal Justice Reform Zone), the catch and release of repeat criminals caused a surge in break ins. The citizens organized and funded the installation of Flock LPRs. Several criminals have been caught as a result, and crime is now down.

So the impetus is twofold:

- Funding provided by programs such as Operation Stonegarden and other grants

- Activists agitate for Criminal Justice Reform --> Surge in crime --> The People clamor for Enhanced Security Measures and DIY

Re: How Cops Are Using Flock's ALPR Network to Surveil Protesters and Activists

#20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>We had a local story where the gist was the police said they searched ALPR for the welfare of a young woman, but it was actually more focused on a possible abortion. Just to be clear, most abortions in Texas are illegal. That's not necessarily a good thing. Nor are flock cameras necessarily a good thing. But given abortions are illegal in Texas, it's simply being used for its nominal purpose. So it doesnt seems like…

The law can be utterly egregious and an affront to morality. Legal behavior can thus be an utterly egregious affront to human decency. See: Apartheid There is no handwaving away the moral implications of these technologies, and who they empower to do what to whom.

Im saying its a normal, predictable use of flock. Not that it's OK. Many readers might not know that abortions for the most part aren't legal in Texas. You should expect flock to assist law enforcement in catching people doing something illegal.
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