This is definitely a good step, however, ALPRs are not going away unfortunately. They have and are and will keep getting deployed by private businesses. They are too valuable for them at this time. The likes of Wal-Mart, etc., will potentially sell information to brokers and so on and some aggregator will resell the data to whomever wants to use the data.
I once interviewed for a trucking logistics SAAS vendor who installed cameras every X number of miles to track shipments of freight. their moat was that physical surveillance network that they had already installed, cameras which scanned (like Flock) not just license plates but decals, looked for signals for driver awareness, collected EMF emissions to see if certain safety and satellite features were on, etc
now they said they didn't sell their data to LEOs but their founders also literally used to work for the CIA (it was bragged about in the initial interviews)
I wouldn't be surprised if companies of that kind are a dime-a-dozen
The more I hear about how surveillance-at-scale like this is so common the more I think we need systemic privacy legislation to make that kind of monitoring impossible, but I don't know how you'd get it through the American legislature.
This, combined with grocery stores coallating your purchases by loyalty program or credit card number, Spotify tracking everything you listen to, smart TVs tracking what you watch... What information _isn't_ available on a random citizen?
Combine this with a seemingly constant stream of data breaches on SSNs or photo IDs, it feels impossible to meaningfully protect my own privacy at this point.
one of the things I cover a lot in the security trainings I do for movement spaces is something I don't hear a lot about in the privacy space atm - and that's active counter surveillance
you start small with things like data poisoning, intentional signal creation, etc. that looks like mistagging geos on social media, clipping your favorite BLE tracking device to your indoor/outdoor cat that you also borrow for your own keys, scripts/macros that will randomly click-through ads, etc
another idea I had was just using those magnetic bumper stickers to confuse things like Flock cameras in combination with IR/reflective bumper covers since those services tend to profile cars based on a lot more than just the plate - wish this was something I could test but alas, an insider with an ethical backbone has yet to leak their source code
You know that might work a little if, and only when people follow through. Unless trained as spies, and even they fail on occasion, people will lapse.
As a feel good option, yeah, go for it. In reality I don’t think it does much. They have too many cross references for you to overcome.
Florida is leading the nation on wise legislation where surveillance is involved in this example. It isn't doing too bad on income tax and other pain points either.
I cannot help to think 1 or more politician or their children was caught breaking a serious law that they would have avoided if the camera was not there. So the fix is to ban the cameras.
Doubtful. Look at the Kennedys. The political class was never in serious danger. Worst case they have to do a favor for the department that has dirt on them.
It's almost like in the movie Minority Report. The state knows where you are at all times (well, not entirely true right now, but to a high extent true now, at the least for car drivers).
This refers only to Flock cameras. In Pinellas and Hillsborough counties (probably others or even most, but I cannot personally verify), there are non-Flock ALPR cameras on every major intersection stoplight gantry, feeding license plate and vehicular-fingerprint data to regional LE "Fusion Centers," where Palantir's Gotham product absolutely is in use. This is of course in addition to FDOT's PTZ cameras also. Forgive a cynic for telling you that banning Flock on state highways is purely performative in such light.
"On Monday, Aug. 31, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) issued a memorandum revoking existing permits for automated license plate recognition (ALPR) systems, commonly referred to by the brand name "Flock cameras," that are installed within the right of way of roads on the State Highway System."
Very first paragraph. "Flock" is basically being used like "Kleenex" here
Has there been any reporting into whether Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise has adequate data access controls around SunPass? They have ALPRs to operate the toll-by-plate system on bridges and toll roads across the state.
In my view, that’s one of the better reasons to have ALPRs at all, but you do need strict controls to prevent misuse.
Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay on the data from toll roads:
"The data is used by all law enforcement. All they have to do is contact the state and get the information. We’ve used it countless times for criminal investigations to see where they’re going, what car they’re in, who the driver is to possibly ID the suspect."
The constitutional arguments have actually already been heard, and the court has determined that there is a reasonable expectation of privacy from continuous government surveillance of movement. The relevant cases are Carpenter and Chatrie.
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[ 0.95 ms ] story [ 41.0 ms ] threadnow they said they didn't sell their data to LEOs but their founders also literally used to work for the CIA (it was bragged about in the initial interviews)
I wouldn't be surprised if companies of that kind are a dime-a-dozen
This, combined with grocery stores coallating your purchases by loyalty program or credit card number, Spotify tracking everything you listen to, smart TVs tracking what you watch... What information _isn't_ available on a random citizen?
Combine this with a seemingly constant stream of data breaches on SSNs or photo IDs, it feels impossible to meaningfully protect my own privacy at this point.
you start small with things like data poisoning, intentional signal creation, etc. that looks like mistagging geos on social media, clipping your favorite BLE tracking device to your indoor/outdoor cat that you also borrow for your own keys, scripts/macros that will randomly click-through ads, etc
another idea I had was just using those magnetic bumper stickers to confuse things like Flock cameras in combination with IR/reflective bumper covers since those services tend to profile cars based on a lot more than just the plate - wish this was something I could test but alas, an insider with an ethical backbone has yet to leak their source code
Playing whack-a-mole with each specific type of surveillance and company involved isn't really fixing the issue.
Parental Rights in Education Act aka "Don't Say Gay" (HB 1557)
Individual Freedom Act / "Stop WOKE" Act (HB 7)
School Choice & Expansion Reforms (HB 1)
Curriculum & Higher Education Governance (SB 266 / SB 7044)
Very first paragraph. "Flock" is basically being used like "Kleenex" here
In my view, that’s one of the better reasons to have ALPRs at all, but you do need strict controls to prevent misuse.
"The data is used by all law enforcement. All they have to do is contact the state and get the information. We’ve used it countless times for criminal investigations to see where they’re going, what car they’re in, who the driver is to possibly ID the suspect."
https://keysweekly.com/42/state-orders-removal-of-plate-came...
Second, a third-party annual security and data audit, with power to revoke licenses if findings aren't mitigated within a reasonable time frame.
Finally, a civilian oversight committee with real power to sanction bad actors.
this article in particular was an interesting case for the benefits of ALPRs: https://www.worksinprogress.news/p/a-cops-case-for-flock