License Plate Scanners.

[ning]

I'd never heard of this Flock outfit before this thread, but you said upthread that they are a private company. So how are they different than Google/Apple/Tesla/whoever tracking your movements and selling that data to who knows who? It's all creepy and very 1984.


But can you actually turn it off? I've heard plenty of stories about cellphone aps that track you even when you've told them not to. Ditto with GM vehicles with no active Onstar subscription. I'm sure at this point in time every other automaker has something similar and does the same.

At the very least you can turn the phone off, and put it in a faraday bag if you're paranoid about "is it really off".

The cameras will track you in public.

I hope you can see the difference?

 

[ultrarunner]

I wonder how many just pay and move on…?

Cameras are everywhere now.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Local small town now has cameras at major places in town. Local mall has license plate cameras on every lane in and out, and on the state route driving by. And GM can track onstar even if you don’t have the service, unless you physically disable it.

 

[paulsharvey]

"I'd never heard of this Flock outfit before this thread, but you said upthread that they are a private company. So how are they different than Google/Apple/Tesla/whoever tracking your movements and selling that data to who knows who? It's all creepy and very 1984."

The difference is Flock sell the data or lease the devices directly to your local law enforcement. I dont like Google or Visa selling info that I prefer Popeyes over Zaxbys chicken; but that's not the same as law enforcement tracking the movement of citizens without a warrant.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Most of the speed camera companies install them for “free” to the towns, for a cut of revenue. Not sure how license plate camera companies do it, other than sell your data.

 

[paulsharvey]

Most of the speed camera companies install them for “free” to the towns, for a cut of revenue. Not sure how license plate camera companies do it, other than sell your data.

Found a public copy of a contract between Palo Alto and Flock for 20 ALPR cameras for $174,000 for a 3 year lease for the devices/stationary mounting. Or about $9000 per camera for a 3 year lease.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Found a public copy of a contract between Palo Alto and Flock for 20 ALPR cameras for $174,000 for a 3 year lease for the devices/stationary mounting. Or about $9000 per camera for a 3 year lease.

So for less than the cost of 1 officer for 3 yrs, they get 20 cameras and all the data equivalent to 20 officers collecting every vehicle info 24/7.
Now you know why data centers are in big demand, to hold all the info.

 

[Oaktree]

At the very least you can turn the phone off, and put it in a faraday bag if you're paranoid about "is it really off".

The cameras will track you in public.

I hope you can see the difference?

I'm not disagreeing that we have no privacy today. I do find it ironic that so many people are concerned about privacy, yet voluntarily carry a device that tracks their every move. There'd be riots in the streets if the gov't mandated all citizens carried a tracking device with them at all times, yet a large percentage of that same population do just that, and indeed feel uneasy when they're NOT "connected".

What's sad is that very few seem to care.

 

[Eagle1]

I'm not disagreeing that we have no privacy today. I do find it ironic that so many people are concerned about privacy, yet voluntarily carry a device that tracks their every move. There'd be riots in the streets if the gov't mandated all citizens carried a tracking device with them at all times, yet a large percentage of that same population do just that, and indeed feel uneasy when they're NOT "connected".

What's sad is that very few seem to care.

Yup and pay for the privilege.
BTW have not had a cell phone since 2007, no listing (Alexa, etc) devices, no MS or Apple devices either.

 

[ultrarunner]

I'm not disagreeing that we have no privacy today. I do find it ironic that so many people are concerned about privacy, yet voluntarily carry a device that tracks their every move. There'd be riots in the streets if the gov't mandated all citizens carried a tracking device with them at all times, yet a large percentage of that same population do just that, and indeed feel uneasy when they're NOT "connected".

What's sad is that very few seem to care.

Or cameras everywhere yet if someone sees a person taking pictures in public too often men with guns are summoned 911?