Brian Service provider, writing for Blood within the Machine, studies that individuals throughout the US are dismantling and destroying Flock surveillance cameras, amid rising public anger that the license plate readers support U.S. immigration authorities and deportations.
Flock is the Atlanta-based surveillance startup valued at $7.5 billion a 12 months in the past and a maker of license plate readers. It has confronted criticism for permitting federal authorities entry to its huge community of nationwide license plate readers and databases at a time when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are more and more counting on information to raid communities as a part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
Flock cameras permit authorities to trace the place folks go and when by taking pictures of their license plates from 1000’s of cameras positioned throughout the US. Flock claims it doesn’t share information with ICE straight, however studies present that native police have shared their very own entry to Flock cameras and its databases with federal authorities.
Whereas some communities are calling on their cities to finish their contracts with Flock, others are taking issues into their very own fingers.
Service provider studies situations of damaged and smashed Flock cameras in La Mesa, California, simply weeks after the town council authorized the continuation of Flock cameras deployed within the metropolis, regardless of a transparent majority of attendees favoring their shutdown. A native report cited robust opposition to the surveillance expertise, with residents elevating privateness considerations.
Different circumstances of vandalism have stretched from California and Connecticut, to Illinois and Virginia. In Oregon, six license plate scanning cameras on poles have been lower down and at the very least one spray painted. A notice left on the base of the severed poles stated, “Hahaha get wrecked ya surveilling fucks,” studies Service provider.
Based on DeFlock, a mission aimed toward mapping license plate readers, there are near 80,000 cameras throughout the US. Dozens of cities have up to now rejected the usage of Flock’s cameras, and a few police departments have since blocked federal authorities from utilizing their sources.
Flock didn’t reply to a request for remark.
