Really valuable research. A benefit to public safety, and drawing attention to a sloppy vendor in the security space, claiming to secure the public, but instead putting the public at risk. However I'm deeply concerned for the researcher and all involved because this may be a criminal violation under the CFAA - accessing these systems without authorization, even if they don't have authentication.
Flock Exposed Its AI-Powered Cameras to the Internet. We Tracked Ourselves
181–190 of 507 posts
Re: Flock Exposed Its AI-Powered Cameras to the Internet. We Tracked Ourselves
#182Earlier quoted context omitted.
Would you want your partner or child stalked, raped, and murdered? You don't even need to drop an air tag now, you can use the license plate reader to track them everywhere they go. There is no hiding.
At first I thought you were defending flock. Seems clear the cameras make it harder to commit crimes and easier to go after the offenders, despite all the side effects most people are upset about here.
How does a camera make it harder to commit a crime? If I bash your skull in on camera, did the camera make that more difficult? Would your family be less aggrieved?
Re: Flock Exposed Its AI-Powered Cameras to the Internet. We Tracked Ourselves
#183Kirlian Selections rocks
Wild to see the Flashbulb on top of HN
Re: Flock Exposed Its AI-Powered Cameras to the Internet. We Tracked Ourselves
#184Earlier quoted context omitted.
For what? Under current jurisprudence collecting license plates images isn't illegal, because there's no expectation of privacy in public. They could post the information online if they wanted to and they'd be in the clear. It's fine to object to ANPR networks on the basis of "mass surveillance" or whatever, but screaming for people to be arrested without legal basis, just because you don't like what they're doing is…
I mean, stalking is very clearly illegal. The main issue is that we have a different set of laws that govern businesses and that govern private citizens. If I set up a camera in a local park and programmed it to zoom into children's faces and stream it directly to my computer, I am surely going to jail. But if I set up 100 cameras to do just that, baby, that's just business. It's almost paradoxical. The more evil I d…
>If I set up a camera in a local park and programmed it to zoom into children's faces and stream it directly to my computer, I am surely going to jail.
[citation needed]
You might be called a creep, and you might be asked to remove the camera (because you can't leave random cameras on public property without permission), but operating cameras in public and recording stuff isn't illegal. Paparazzis do that all the time.
Re: Flock Exposed Its AI-Powered Cameras to the Internet. We Tracked Ourselves
#185The CEO of Flock, Garrett Langley, called Deflock a terrorist group. It's unhinged. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-kZGrDz7PU
Expect more of this. The masks are coming off.
“Are the fires of Hell a-glowing? Is the grisly reaper mowing? Yes! The danger must be growing For the rowers keep on rowing And they're certainly not showing Any signs that they are slowing!” - Willie Wonka
Re: Flock Exposed Its AI-Powered Cameras to the Internet. We Tracked Ourselves
#186I’m baffled by the state of law enforcement. On one hand we are spending loads on surveillance, but on the other we refuse to enforce violent, property & drugs-abuse crimes. Gross violent offenders are being allowed to walk. So what is the point of all the CCTV ? As major investors in Flock, being aware of the long term law enforcement strategy, I’m guessing ycombinator can comment on what all of this investment is f…
The surveillance state is there to benefit the rich and wealthy whom not only wield disproportionate power but are increasingly scared of their own shadow. The rest of us get nothing but crickets if we ask the police to do anything.
It’s a nice theory but still doesn’t explain why the laws aren’t being enforced. Presumably these rich, powerful and paranoid also control the AG’s and judges. Why aren’t they locking these people up?
Re: Flock Exposed Its AI-Powered Cameras to the Internet. We Tracked Ourselves
#187For more context here Flock Safety is a YC-backed company [1][2] [1] https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/flock-safety [2] https://x.com/garrytan/status/1856016868580151615
And let me share this reply by Garry Tan, CEO of YC, after someone made a comment that Flock might be _pretty dystopian_ [1][2]: > You're thinking Chinese surveillance > US-based surveillance helps victims and prevents more victims [1] https://x.com/neurajordan/status/1963303084609966288 [2] https://x.com/garrytan/status/1963310592615485955
You don't understand, when software has support for Chinese characters it is automatically 150% more dystopian.
Re: Flock Exposed Its AI-Powered Cameras to the Internet. We Tracked Ourselves
#188For more context here Flock Safety is a YC-backed company [1][2] [1] https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/flock-safety [2] https://x.com/garrytan/status/1856016868580151615
Is this dystopian enough yet?
Re: Flock Exposed Its AI-Powered Cameras to the Internet. We Tracked Ourselves
#189Earlier quoted context omitted.
He probably being sincere. If you're logged in (or use something like xcancel), you can see the full thread, where he starts off with > Flock Safety currently solves 700,000 reported cases of crime per year, which is about 10% of reported crime nationwide > And they're just getting started His profile also says: >President & CEO @ycombinator —Founder @Initialized—designer/engineer who helps founders—SF Dem accelerati…
It's really interesting the different cultures "YCombinator the startup incubator" and "Ycombinator/HN the internet forum has". A comment being so oblivious about surveillance would probably be flagged here, at least heavily downvoted, while this guy is actively the president and CEO of Ycombinator today? pg, what happened? Ycombinator used to be a beacon of sense in a sea of uselessness, but now uselessness is runni…
> pg, what happened?
Don't look to pg for anything that can be seen as "woke" - he wants that mind-virus eliminated forever[0]. Many billionaires revealed their true colors after November 2024, remember this when they adjust their public posture to follow the political winds.
Re: Flock Exposed Its AI-Powered Cameras to the Internet. We Tracked Ourselves
#190Yes, they should be secured so they can only be accessed by law enforcement. But if your spouse/SO/sister/mother/girlfriend/whatever was assaulted while jogging in a park that had Flock cameras, and it allowed law enforcement to quickly identify, track, apprehend and charge the criminal, you'd absolutely be grateful for the technology. There's nothing worse than being told "we don't have any leads" when someone you c…
This is true of course. You could also apply this logic to even the most extreme of fascist tendencies though.
There is freedom to and freedom from as they say in The Handmaid’s Tale.