The Open Source Project DeFlock Is Mapping License Plate Surveillance Cameraswww.404media.co/the-open-source-project-deflock-is-mapping-license-plate-surveillance-cameras-all-over-the-world/
403 sats \ 6 comments \ @StillStackinAfterAllTheseYears 12 Nov tech
License plate cameras are one of the nastier elements of the surveillance state. There are already major cities and areas where it's impossible to drive without the government noting all of your movements. I don't expect a Supreme Court challenge to defeat it, either -- the three liberals will probably support surveillance in general, the three hard-right conservatives and Roberts are pro-police, and that's seven votes already.
OTOH, I do hope they'd at least help defeat any challenge to this program which, by tracking all the cameras, at least gives people some chance of not having their every action recorded.
And if people happen to use this information as a map of cameras that could have obstacles placed in front of them or otherwise made useless, well, not a huge tragedy.
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21 sats \ 0 replies \ @Wumbo 12 Nov
Here is direct link to website/map https://deflock.me
In addition to the warning signs they have:
They could also make some images with license plate numbers and hanging them in view of the camera.
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0 sats \ 2 replies \ @ContraMundum 12 Nov
You’re already out in public. You have no expectation of privacy. The govt isn’t keeping an eye on you. Flock is its own company, yes, with paying businesses getting access to it, mainly LEOs. I think it’s a great crime solving tool.
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0 sats \ 1 reply \ @StillStackinAfterAllTheseYears OP 12 Nov
Yeah, fuck LEOs and the amount of money the state throws at them (with all the associated taxes). And fuck conflating the general lack of an expectation of public privacy with full state surveillance.
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21 sats \ 0 replies \ @ContraMundum 12 Nov
I agree with many of your concerns. No doubt.
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0 sats \ 1 reply \ @unkempt 12 Nov
The idea behind Defrock is fascinating and reflects a real pushback against the invasive surveillance that’s quietly becoming normalized in urban areas. License plate readers are one of those tools that many people don’t think twice about but which, in aggregate, create a detailed record of people’s lives without their consent.
It’s not hard to see how this level of tracking could easily be abused, especially when data gets sold, shared, or hacked. It seems like Defrock’s mapping efforts aim to strike a balance by informing people where they’re being monitored. Informed consent is a baseline for privacy, so if we can’t avoid the cameras, knowing their locations at least gives people some agency.
As for the legality, you’re right that a Supreme Court challenge could be a dead end. There’s a strong precedent of backing law enforcement tools, often under the guise of “public safety.” But if Defrock’s map lets people avoid certain areas to preserve their privacy, or if these cameras can be blocked from sightlines in non-destructive ways, that could be an empowering workaround.
The question I think we should ask is: At what point do citizens have the right to reclaim privacy in public spaces? Defrock may just be part of a much larger conversation."**
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @ContraMundum 12 Nov
I smell Ai
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