[HN Gopher] New Calif Highway Surveillance Uses More Than Cameras
___________________________________________________________________
New Calif Highway Surveillance Uses More Than Cameras
Author : mistrial9
Score : 19 points
Date : 2024-03-30 13:34 UTC (9 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (www.mercurynews.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (www.mercurynews.com)
| smcin wrote:
| > _The highway patrol recently contracted Flock Safety to install
| the cameras, which appear to use a wide array of high-tech
| features that go beyond simply reading motorists' license
| plates._
|
| _The cameras feature "improved vehicle recognition" that allows
| officers to search for vehicles by several identifying
| categories, including their "type, make, color, license plate
| state, missing /covered plates," as well as bumper stickers,
| decals and roof racks, according to the governor's announcement.
| The camera system also can provide real-time alerts when a
| vehicle sought by officers is spotted._
|
| Some previous mentions of Flock Safety's camera networks:
|
| [0]: 'Talon,' the Nationwide Network of AI-Enabled Surveillance
| Cameras https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26330370
|
| [1]: AI licenseplate surveillance startup installed 100s of
| cameras with o permission
| https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39545522
| jauntywundrkind wrote:
| Turns out all Flock needed to do was ask the police for
| permission, and now they can have ai cameras monitoring the
| world. The "didn't ask permission" aspect was not at all hard
| to remedy; the local elements of the state are more than
| encouraging about AI powered mass surveillance at a very fine
| fine level.
|
| Will Flock be able to use this data themselves? Will they be
| allowed to sell this data to others? At what level? How much
| will they charge me to track a red Nissan with roof racks all
| day for a day?
|
| Just two weeks ago a federal court gave copsa thumbs up on
| installing a camera watching someone's home & comings & goings,
| for 68 days straight. And here the state is watching the entire
| city at once. The availability of these capabilities is so
| remarkably high, and it's hard to imagine how democracy gets a
| say in reconciling these new powers of the state. Meanwhile the
| courts are happily making more room than ever for the state.
| https://qz.com/feds-can-film-your-front-porch-without-warran...
| everybodyknows wrote:
| > missing/covered plates
|
| Here in CA, I routinely see illegible plates covered with smoky
| grey plastic.
|
| Don't understand why these apparently are not promptly pulled
| over by the cops, with the owners fined enough hundreds of
| dollars to permanently effect better behavior. No high-tech
| needed.
|
| But then, politicos do love their science fair projects ...
| seattle_spring wrote:
| I've always wondered that too. A lot of people will claim
| that "it's their right" to not be recognized by surveillance
| and that's why they use those covers, but seems a lot more
| likely that they don't want take responsibility if they get
| in an accident that they can slip out of without being
| identified.
| brewdad wrote:
| I think a lot of drivers view speeding and extending yellow
| lights as a bit of a cat and mouse game. As Carlin once
| said "Cop didn't see it? I didn't do it."
|
| Red light and speed cameras give police too much advantage
| in this "game" so they seek to take their own advantage.
| xhkkffbf wrote:
| Some people will cleverly glue a leaf over 50, 60 or even 80%
| of the number. How did it get there? I don't know. Must be
| nature's fault. I'm so sorry officer.
| nanomonkey wrote:
| Better yet, there are electromagnetic covers that allow you
| to drop the "leaf" while you're being pulled over for
| plausible deniability.
| ungreased0675 wrote:
| I'm not sure people appreciate how technologies like this can be
| abused. It's not just the cameras, it's the fusion and analysis
| of all that data leading to a loss of privacy.
| KennyBlanken wrote:
| "We wanted to make sure all the work our team had done with the
| (city's) privacy commission aligned with what Gov. Newsom and
| Attorney General Rob Bonta were planning -- and they were
| receptive," Hanson said."
|
| That's a bit odd, given that Flock specifically markets its
| nationwide network to LEO agencies - ie you can be in East
| Nowhere, Iowa and query a plate and see data from the entire
| network.
| y-curious wrote:
| Not to mention the government's poor handling of database
| security. The fusion of your point and mine are _scary_
| yazzku wrote:
| Gavin Newsom needs to go down fast. Let's put cameras in his
| bedroom to keep him honest too. No need to criminalize every
| single citizen.
| zoklet-enjoyer wrote:
| Reminds me of this https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-
| news/surveillance-syste...
| Mrabbb wrote:
| They state that the goal is to reduce crime on the freeway. Let's
| move the problem but monitor everybody.
___________________________________________________________________
(page generated 2024-03-30 23:02 UTC)