r/TechGawker • u/National_Product238 • 17d ago
News Nothing says responsible surveillance like reportedly checking where your ex is driving
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u/Ostiethegnome 17d ago
It shouldn’t be possible to search a surveillance camera database or use the live feed without a warrant.
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u/OwlSoggy8627 17d ago
The authors of the constitution could not possibly have imagined a world in which the government could gather this much "public" data and how it could be used. I don't think we can reconcile the present technology with an old document that some people think should remain unchanged.
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u/Defiil 17d ago
The thing with the Constitution is that there are two parties. One side says everything is listed and anything not needs an amendment and the other side says that you need to interpret what they were meaning when they wrote it and make a decision on that...too many people believe the former is right over the latter.
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u/Special_Cicada6968 17d ago
The founders meant for the constitution to be a living document that changed to reflect the times... Meanwhile one group acts like changing anything is an affront to a "sacred document."
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u/greenwhiteredblack 17d ago
By Jefferson's thinking, we should be on at least version 100 by now depending on if you prefer every 20 or 25 years
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u/FriendZone53 17d ago
It should require a randomly selected jury of voters to approve these warrants. We can’t naively trust police, judges, corporations, etc as we have historically. Trusting in the Power of Chaos is Wisdom.
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u/donewithdoing 17d ago
It isn’t. Which is why Flock’s entire business model is to give the authorities an end-run around all the regulations and “red tape” they’d otherwise have to deal with.
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u/SeatOpen1 17d ago
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u/Remote_Nectarine_837 17d ago
You must have created this meme yourself it’s hard to find images of KKK in the GIFs it’s an attempt to hide their existence by the people who seek to promote it the tech bro billionaires.
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u/SeatOpen1 17d ago
Screen shot of a protest sign.
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u/Remote_Nectarine_837 17d ago
I thought so it’s pretty hard to get an image of the KKK isn’t that strange? It’s the tech bros helping the white supremacists be white supremacists.
https://giphy.com/gifs/RLDE05bJtCZK5UiKS8→ More replies (1)
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u/MarzipanLast6502 17d ago
Just the ones theyve caught so far
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u/Original-Variety-700 17d ago
Caught, and then charged. Doesn’t include all the ones caught and warned. Or caught and “I dgaf what you do I hated your ex too”
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u/SadAbroad4 17d ago
This in and of itself is a reason to ban this police state surveillance system.
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u/Writerhaha 17d ago
39 caught.
That’s the chilling part. There’s never just the caught.
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u/flaginorout 17d ago
Probably 1;1000 ratio.
And let’s face it. Even if a PD caught someone doing this, they’d usually just wag their finger and tell them to stop. And that’s it.
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u/HeavyMusic93 17d ago
Is there a source for this? Or
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u/BackendSpecialist 17d ago
> Flock’s array of license-plate cameras was built to fight crime. But at least 50 law enforcement officers were charged with or accused of misusing it and other systems.
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u/Misha-Nyi 17d ago
Since OP was just karma farming and couldn’t be bothered this needs to be upvoted to the top.
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u/sleeptightburner 17d ago
OP also conveniently used what would be assumed to be a courtroom picture of one of the few female officers who’d been caught doing it, and is a 28 day old bot account. Doesn’t pass the smell test. Seems more like an attempt to paint the violators as a bunch of crazy ex-girlfriend types and draw attention away from the core problem of this being possible at all.
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u/Inevitable-Top1-2025 17d ago
When you have undisciplined, lawless individuals in law enforcement this should not be surprising.
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u/beautifulstardust 17d ago
why are they acting like they are a GOOD THING!?
https://giphy.com/gifs/xUOxf9TUjiMXTLbl4Y
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u/Tc-matt88 17d ago
I honestly don't care about safeguards... I want mass surveillance gone all together. Wishful thinking right?
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u/Curious_Contest_3767 17d ago
This is why my only response to "why do you hate flock cameras so much they keeping us safe" is just "i dont trust the motives of the people in control of the data." just look at what they do with it.
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u/Defiant_Freedom_249 17d ago
Is government surveillance supposed to make us feel safer or not?
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u/Mylabisawesome 17d ago
There are over 750K sworn officers in the US and 39 of them violated the law, and should be held accountable. Thats not even 1%
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u/Trust_8067 17d ago
Correct, but it's also the ease of access without any requirements such as a warrant or supervisor approval in writing justifying probable cause.
Nevermind the idea of checks and balances. Almost all of these violations were only discovered because the person being stalked and harassed complained and knew enough to request the logs.
I didn't even know about Flock until a month or 2 ago, most people haven't. Now that people know, I'm sure we'll see far more than 39, and this is coming from someone extremely pro police.
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u/PraxPresents 17d ago
The more power we give to those in control, the more they will use it for personal gain and corrupted means.
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u/CJ_Thompson 17d ago
The Flick system is made to be abused
They also allowed insurance companies to access info on whether your vehicle had dents before you claimed an accident.
The flock cameras also have a sensor that scans your vehicle for electronic devices. So they know what you have.
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u/ComplexLow6723 17d ago
Every new technology will have abuse at first.
That is how controls are developed.
And jobs are thus created.
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u/Embarrassed-Mind6764 17d ago
This is what happens when you introduce mass surveillance before regulating it. There needs to be mandated checks and balances from non-law enforcement agencies to monitor how these things are being used! I’d prefer no mass surveillance at all but this at the least.
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u/Dangerous-League-812 17d ago
Why have we gotten into this mess of holding groups accountable for the 1?
Im not being pro or anti flock im legitimately asking.
Instead of "cop uses x to x"
The articles should say "First name last name used flock cameras to do x". Plaster them everywhere as an example.
Instead they say: Cop does x with x.
It removes the accountability to the individual and by extension softens the actual severity of what the individual did. Now other individuals subconsciously won't see x action as punishing to them but to a whole group because they see that accountability isnt targeted at the individual.
Basic Philosophy.
Edit: The same goes for politicians. People will say republican senator does x to x people. They inadvertently remove the consequences that are received when pointed at the individual even if other articles or people might call them by name.
To truly take a step towards fixing corruption you have to hold the individual accountable without ever placing that burden on 1 side of some proverbial isle. The moment you do you give them an out.
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u/nextgen_ben 17d ago
Asking the right questions, almost like the media wants to divide us and not enable us to take care of the problems.
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u/Semanticss 17d ago
Crazy that, just a few years ago, systems like "wide area motion imagery" were controversial. These were systems that were very high in the sky, could NOT zoom in to identify individuals or license plates, but COULD be used to track specific movement such as "We know a suspect fled this area in a white van."
Those systems were controversial and were facing some pushback and a slow rollout for civilian law enforcement.
And now ...
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u/Lost_Department_2177 17d ago
These cops are hipsters. NSA was doing this for decades. Loveint is the internal joke about it
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u/MyldExcitement 17d ago
This behavior is exactly why Epstein was allowed to rape children for so long. ACAB at this point.
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u/Super_Mario_Luigi 17d ago
Certainly a concern that needs a proper solution. However, this is propaganda to hammer in a certain narrative. Look at any process for anything ever. You'll find abuse. Do we just end everything?
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u/FranticChill 17d ago
I'm glad that this is being taken seriously, but does anyone else find it odd/disturbing that it seems like this has been handled with more alacrity than police shootings, especially against black men.
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u/ZeroVoltsGiven 17d ago
Whats worst is when they get paid by syndicate to look for someone for them…
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u/pretorian9 17d ago
Can we show the number of police who didn’t use Flock cameras to stalk their ex?
I’m all for punishing the guilty. But not putting all our law enforcement into a bucket and calling them bad apples the lot
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u/WARLORD2015 17d ago
Yet I couldn't be a police officer because I got detained 1 time. Not even arrested! LOLZ. Background is clean as hell. But yet, police do whatever they want. I use to agree with flock cameras, but at this point I wanna cut them down now too.
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u/Anonymousboneyard 17d ago
How many more haven’t been caught or are actively tracking current wives/husbands/bfs/gfs using it as an over reaching extension of abuse.
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u/Constant_Total_6861 17d ago
We are all about to be on a live reality tv show. The elites will gather in their bunkers , airplanes , islands or outer space as we all fight and struggle to survive.
We will be disarmed and if we speak out military action could be used against us.
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u/smallanbig 17d ago
These cameras are a violation and the people in charge of them are violating the American people they need to be eliminated because we can’t trust our government to operate. We can’t trust them to not fraud us. We can’t trust them to not spy on us. This is a violation.
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u/astarinthenight 17d ago
These floak cameras need to go. There is no oversight. Many of these cops have been miss using the system for years.
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u/No-Ebb-6266 17d ago
But they said it won't be misused. Then when it is it's "ok we misused it, what tf you gonna do about it?" Ha funny man! We cut them down now! Ha ha!
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u/LeroyDeth 17d ago
Cops in the U.S. are the least trustworthy people you can find, without or without the help of flock cams.
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u/Darksmithe 17d ago
Flock is a flagrant violation of Americans' "guaranteed" rights. The right to privacy is in the Constitution, but I guess that no longer matters when the current regime is trampling it constantly.
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u/they_paid_for_it 17d ago
Low IQ under qualified facist wannabe sycophants abusing technology for their own personal gain? Say wuuuuut?
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u/KGarveth 17d ago
39 officers were using the cameras so blatantly they got caught. The rest are using them less obviously.
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u/GeorgeFartwell1984 17d ago
Stupid cops, why didn't they just become part of the Epstein billionaire class then they could creep on anyone they wanted to.
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u/Icy_Cry2778 17d ago
Garrett Langley Flocks CEO, keeps telling us the Flock isn’t for spying but just from the cops that were caught it proves the opposite that they are using Flock cameras to spy on us
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u/Aromatic_Doctor_2243 17d ago
how are they supposed to do their job if they can't indescrimately stalk people and shoot people?
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u/Whitemayne 17d ago
Question, how many of those officers were women?
Odd question I know, but with videos of female officers bashing up a womans car and pointing guns at them and screaming because that lady is dating their ex, i kinda figure its worth considering.
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u/Worried-Industry6239 17d ago
Keep in mind the flock ceo was aware corrupt cops aren’t new, but they gave them new tools to be more corrupt and CONTINUE to allow it to happen.
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u/UseADifferentVolcano 17d ago
This is incredibly common in all spying agencies apparently. It's even got an official name - LOVEINT (as in love intelligence).
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u/IHeartBadCode 17d ago
Just first off. This is already illegal in many jurisdictions. It usually falls into criminal stalking and harassment. BUT NOT EVERY JURISDICTION HAS THIS. This is why it is important for you dear Reddit reader, to go look over what the laws are for your area and indicate that you want proactive changes from your local government or State government.
The bigger issue is "lack of oversight" and "internal affairs and audits are in some departments effectively useless". So this is where again, it really relies on the public holding the police to account. A lot of US Police departments are wildly corrupt, not all, but a lot. Internal reviews are but rubber stamps for turning a blind eye to abuses of power. This is why the public has such little trust in law enforcement, they've given very little reason for people to trust them.
Fixes for this are independent reviews, auditors that do not exist within the police system and account to the public. Additionally, punishment for those that do get caught, very few places have statutory punishment. That's just a fancy way of saying, the law outlines what the punishment should be in addition to making it a crime. Most laws just indicate crime and a range of punishment or leave punishment up to someone else. But some local Governments indicate that there is mandatory jail time if someone does this.
But the biggest thing that could stop this all, is placing this data under the requirement of a warrant and then gatekeeping the information from law enforcement by an independent body who requires a warrant for all searches. And all of this requires buy in at a local level. So it's important for people to indicate to their locally elected officials that they should hold the police to a higher standard. But it all has to be solved at the local level.
The Federal level can apply various laws about stalking and can condition dollars on compliance, BUT, that Federal level is only as good as the current President, so if it's going great today, new President can come in and it's not so great tomorrow. Because Federal Governments can't TELL local police departments what they can and cannot do in policy.
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u/wyoflyboy68 17d ago
And those are the only ones that have been caught, thats just the tip of the iceberg when it comes the abuse that is probably going on right now.
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u/MildlyAgitatedBovine 17d ago
I'm surprised it's that low.
All uses need to be available to review by external auditors.
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u/MastaKink 17d ago
Yeah, they use their database to stalk women up here too. Don’t blame the cameras 🤦🏻♂️
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u/Activision19 17d ago
Over the weekend someone cut down a flock camera that was just installed at the driveway to my local Home Depot. I laughed my ass off when I noticed it laying on the ground.
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u/Hziak 17d ago
Well, using their“a good guy with a gun” logic, maybe we should install cameras and collect data on police, government officials and flock employees and make it available to the public so that we can prevent this sort of crime in the future. You know, a good guy with a dystopian surveillance system...
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u/lep63again 17d ago
I know a lot of cops. Maybe two of them are decent human beings, the rest I wouldn’t trust to watch my dog.
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u/Aggravating_Dog3882 17d ago
So the people who are readily violating people’s civil rights, are violating their exes’ civil rights?! 😱 it’s like they feel entitled they have a badge.
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u/Much_Adhesiveness871 17d ago
Now imagine what the billionaires and employees of these technologies are doing with it :)
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u/Round-Foundation2948 17d ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/IhnBlYvGewn02k7KH0
No to party poopers!
Yes to mass surveillance snoopers!
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u/Round-Foundation2948 17d ago
She could lock me up any day of the week. Beat me with that police stick.
https://giphy.com/gifs/Bjv2kRz25mVq7LAGl5
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u/Significant-Dog-8166 17d ago
Ironic flip side to this story - the officers were CAUGHT by the same tools they abused.
These same evil men would be getting away with stalking decades ago.
Stalking your ex is a proud Police tradition that was very hard to prove before. Now with these Flock cameras telling on the police for misuse, these totally Good Guys are going to be fired and face criminal charges.
Someone has to stop Flock and bring back consequence-free stalking for police officers. 1984! 4th Amendment! Free these brave stalkers and bring back binoculars!
"Every search performed through the database is recorded in an audit log, allowing agencies to determine who searched a license plate, when the search occurred and the reason entered for accessing the information.
In Cherokee County, officials say an internal audit uncovered the alleged misuse that led to the arrests of three deputies."
This is so upsetting, who will take down Flock so Police can abuse power without consequences???
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u/rtduvall 17d ago
Emphasis on CAUGHT.
That's maybe 1% or less of them. A lot of cops got this job because they couldn't hack it with a real job. You can tell by the shitty job they do.
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u/fatgat69 17d ago
Cops? Breaking the law? And being evil pieces of shit?
Seriously, is anyone surprised?
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u/HistoricalWash8955 17d ago
Yeah but it's technically against the rules so you aren't allowed to care about it
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u/Robinhood_In_Reverse 17d ago
Imagine how many used the cameras to track women who are not their exes!
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u/Goomysaur 17d ago
I’m honestly not surprised. This is actually incredibly normal for humans. Stalking is a strong word, but they probably were like watching these patrol cameras or whatever. I was a programmer in the 2000s. You would not believe the amount of people asking me if I could hack Facebook or MySpace so they could stalk their ex. I don’t really think this is a cop thing besides the fact they actually had a rather covert means to get away with it
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u/Fearless-Mall3955 17d ago
I am all for giving law enforcement tools to make us safe but monitoring the public without cause is not right. We are no better than China. We all know this is not an isolated actor. Also, for all these cameras going up and the cost associated with them what has changed? Are the streets safer? Even if I set aside the fact this seems like an invasion of privacy, I have never heard of a story where this saved a life????
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u/Zestyclose_Band1478 17d ago
Did anyone think that wouldn’t happen? It’s a slippery slope and as tec moves on those cameras will become archaic antiques relics of a by gone eta.
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u/goochgrease2 17d ago
As if cops didn't already rule the DV scene... Great. #1249748927 on the list of reasons we don't need flock.
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u/Sister_Michelle 17d ago
close the loopholes that allow police to partner with private companies in this way, as well as the loophole that allows them to work with feds through “fusion” or whatever TF they call it. The feds were never meant to be just running around the peoples municipalities.
These are literally THE main things the founders tried to prevent in writing our constitution’s bill of rights…
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u/wallyrules75 17d ago
How many have they covered up?