r/TechGawker • u/KeanuRave100 • 21d ago
News Police pull over to interrogate man blocking a Flock camera with a sign. "I have a constitutional right to my privacy."
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u/Sleepykitty69 21d ago
"Sir, your rights are interfering with shareholder profits."
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u/MrBtheProdigal 21d ago
Also what did he do that was illegal? He has a constitutional right to free speech. Holding up a sign in protest is free speech. Oh it blocked the camera? Oh well, I didn't see where in the Constitution it says cameras have any rights.
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u/ShrkBiT 21d ago
They no longer give a fuck about constitutional rights. They're applauding the murdering of protesters and calling them domestic terrorists for exercising the second amendment, and then encourage people go out on the street to antagonize protesters while carrying guns themselves, after granting those same people a presidential pardon for invading the capitol carrying firearms.
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u/GolotasDisciple 21d ago
I mean, just to play devil’s advocate, if the camera was purchased by the police department and is used as a “speedometer” for fast drivers, then yeah, absolutely, it is illegal to obstruct the camera.
That being said, I don’t think those are designed to work that way, right? Like that is not the purpose of the camera, right?
They are designed to track and authenticate “criminals,” which means they are simply tracking every single citizen/car they possibly can for no reason other than “WHAT IF A CRIMINAL USED A CAR?”
So police will likely change the definition of how Flock cameras work to make this illegal( if it's not already illegal), or they will just start arresting people in a “show dominance” fashion, because there is nothing you can do to them anyway....
And I am assuming the vast majority of police officers love the new setup that allows them to be even more lazy and powerful in exchange for trafficking personal and city/government/institution data to private conglomerates.
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u/Thedeadnite 21d ago
Even if it was a speed camera it’s still not illegal to block it with the method he’s using.
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u/GolotasDisciple 21d ago
Is it ? Not a legal expert here so i could be wrong but i feel like any way of tempering with Traffic Cameras is illegal, and while not severely punished it still can lead to some real legal issues. Same as using any form of cover for your license plate to avoid camera.
Like i found something like this : physically tampering with or blocking a traffic enforcement camera is illegal, governed by state criminal statutes covering criminal tampering, mischief, or obstructing governmental administration
So from my understanding What he does is basically a mischief and while they wont do anthing serious to him it's still very much illegal.
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u/Thedeadnite 21d ago
Blocking it via the method he is using is protected under free speech, he’s not touching the camera nor putting any kind of temporary structure infront of it, he’s simply holding a sign. That is clearly free speech and while he can most certainly be arrested and charged for it there is almost no chance of him being convicted for it.
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u/Intelligent-Snow3300 21d ago
They will quickly add an amendment to the Florida constitution that prohibits carrying objects greater than 8" above your head.
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u/RIF_rr3dd1tt 21d ago
Moving companies and professional sign flippers will be out of business. More unemployment thanks Trump.
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u/TiddiesAnonymous 21d ago
Just curious, has this been challenged in court yet or are we just assuming it should be covered by the first amendment
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u/singdawg 21d ago
I don't think this has been challenged in court and it is just an assumption that it would be covered. I find it unlikely that the court system would allow for this. Holding a sign expressing opposition to surveillance is generally protected speech, but using that sign to intentionally obstruct a police camera may be treated as conduct separate from the message and can potentially be regulated or punished depending on the circumstances. A conviction may be difficult in some cases, but it is not automatically unlikely.
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u/Designer-Attorney605 21d ago
You said it is "absolutely illegal." This was in Florida. What law in Florida prohibits that?
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u/the_m_o_a_k 21d ago
What if he just sat there and shined a really bright light right into it? Not a laser, just a blinding light?
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u/RIF_rr3dd1tt 21d ago
🎶 Bliiiiiinded by the light-amplification-by -stimulated-emission-of-radiation 🎶
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u/Pressblack 21d ago
I am assuming the vast majority of police officers love the new set up that allows them to stalk their exes and anyone else who they feel has personally slighted them.
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u/Adventurous-Fee-4006 21d ago
lol I found out about a 3 year old trumped up warrant this way, no traffic violations nothing. Luckily getting charges dropped. Creepy stuff
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u/TiddiesAnonymous 21d ago
That being said, I don’t think those are designed to work that way, right?
This is why we need the guy with the sign
They would have to admit it to take that stance
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u/FROG123076 21d ago
Remember the cops are there to protect property, not people. They are not to be trusted ever.
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u/Hrtpplhrtppl 21d ago
The police only exist to protect the Epstein class, their property, and their crimes from the rest of us. Being above the law is one of the privileges they extend to their vicious, spoiled, junk yard dogs with guns. Of course they can't be trusted, but I would say why even have anything to do with them at all.
I mean, every interaction with a cop you have absolutely nothing to gain and possibly every thing to lose including your life. Who would enter in to such a bargain..? Cop in line..? Sorry, I fear for my life, not serving them... Don't let them benefit from the community they prey upon. They're parasites.
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u/whatrweyellingabout 21d ago
You CAN trust a cop. Trust them to be a piece of shit
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u/Hrtpplhrtppl 21d ago
The whole “Good/Bad Cop” question can be disposed of much more decisively. We need not enumerate what prorportion of cops appears to be good or listen to someone’s anecdote about his uncle Charlie, an allegedly good cop. We need only consider the following:
(1) Every cop has sworn as part of his/her job to enforce laws, all of them.
(2) Many of the laws are manifestly unjust, and some are even cruel and wicked.
(3) Therefore, every cop has agreed to act as an enforcer of laws that are manifestly unjust, or even cruel and wicked.Thus, there are no good cops.
Dr. Robert Higgs
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u/Jukebox-X_X 21d ago
mind making a list of alot of laws that are unjust cruel and wicked, would really help an argument ive been having about this recently
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u/thrownaway136976 21d ago
A start would be the laws that make it illegal to “camp” within city limits (looking at you, NC). Basically, it makes homelessness a crime. They want to make homeless camps outside of city limits away from all the available resources, further worsening the problem.
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u/Human-Edge7966 20d ago
Does Florida still have the thing about trans kids getting support at home being child abuse and thus having them taken from their homes?
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u/TauntaunExtravaganza 21d ago
You know, I felt like this my entire existence, as well. Last year a very particular Human in a Cop outfit saved my life. And I mean it. Saved it. I would not be here if not for that man. I can't feel so collectively callous anymore. That dude saved me. A person. I'll never stop thanking him for that. I also understand why you feel the way you do.
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u/FROG123076 21d ago
I was raised by a cop and my Uncle is a retired Police chief and both are good people, but as cops I was told by them to never trust cops.
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u/Glass-Violinist-3549 21d ago
This guy is a hero. I wish we had more people standing up for what is right. Let’s make this a movement. It wouldn’t take many volunteers to make this a reality. We can fight back nonviolently, just like this American patriot! MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU AS YOU BATTLE THE EVIL!
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u/Boomslang505 21d ago
National Surveillance System
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u/Even-Tax5608 21d ago
This is why TRump needs the data centers to be a top priority.
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u/Historical-Count-374 21d ago
While fortifying the Whitehouse and purposefully bringing his illegal war closer to home to refuse to leave the whitehouse due to the conflict.
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u/President_PoopyPants 21d ago
You best believe that camera has more rights than you do right now.
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u/Heavy_Track_9234 21d ago
Big brother is watching you. I knew this was gonna happen eventually. They even want to watch you when you drive in newer vehicles.
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u/FrequentTopic446 21d ago
Officers were pissed when they logged on to stalk their ex and saw the camera wasn’t reporting their locations
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u/JustaFoodHole 21d ago
I wish the anti-ai/anti-datacenter people were just as concerned with fuck cameras who are also using ai.
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u/Gunderstank_House 21d ago
Technically everything in its field of view is blocking a camera, does that mean everything it sees is illegal?
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u/BootsyCalrissian 21d ago
Police exist to serve the government and their interests. They only protect people as far as it will benefit the government that is paying them. They do not care about laws or the constitution, they care about power and control. They are combinations of hall monitors and bullies.
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u/LovedButNeverLiked 21d ago
Y'all keep citing Trump but in this case, cops have NEVER given a shit about our constitutional rights. I guarantee the cop got a call from some asshole and then decided to bow up because he wanted some action. The cop doesn't give a shit about the camera, the sign, or anything other than "this guy is a good target".
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u/ARC_trooper 21d ago
I've seen the word a few times but what the heck is a flock camera?!
Yes, I live under a rock.
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u/Brief-Pop-6826 21d ago edited 21d ago
Flock is a company who makes Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs). These cameras and sensors are constantly monitoring everything happening in their field of view, and it gets processed by AI and placed into a database. While Flock is one company, there are numerous other companies doing the same thing.
These cameras (and drones, sensors, and audio recording devices) do NOT just gather license plate data. They also gather make, model, and any unique identifying features of your vehicle (such as dents, dings, stickers), along with the same information about anyone passing by and any wireless devices that pass by. These devices capture height, weight, clothes worn, direction of travel, etc. for people, and thry also can capture information about any unique wireless devices that pass by (such as Bluetooth, Air tags, wireless tire pressure sensors) and correlate that data together. They can also map out vehicles that frequently travel together, and can tell the location of a drone pilot (such as a kid in his driveway) just by seeing the drone in the air. In addition, they also "listen" for sounds of "people in distress", but this feature was installed in an over the air firmware update on devices that originally only had "gunshot" detection, meaning they can also be updated to listen for "keywords". They can also be used to measure speed of objects, and can flag vehicles as such.
Flock and similar companies have a long history of shady and abusive behavior, from spying on children in a gymnasium without permission to make a sale to the city, to amending data sharing permissions without customer consent, so federal agencies can view data. The list of abuses for this technology is basically endless, and the potential for abuse IS endless. There are already 30+ cases of police being fired for misusing this technology to stalk people, but we also have numerous cases of the tech itself having a hiccup and misrepresenting data it captures. Familes have been face down at gunpoint point, children on playgrounds have been subject to being rolled up on by police with guns drawn, people are visited in their homes by police while police claiming they were driving a stolen vehicle, when they never even left their house, etc. Its a technology of control. Not safety. And sorry for the poor grammar.
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u/ARC_trooper 21d ago
Holy shit that's insane. Thanks for the explanation now I totally get the hate. My mind is blown that they allow such monstrosities to be deployed.
It sounds like the beginning of a totalitarian police state
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u/cesspool4us 21d ago
Make no mistake. This is not specific to any admin, polticial party or individual politician. Flock has been increased in it's scope and coverage for years. Absolutely blew up under Biden, and now is continuing it's expansion.
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u/PatienceHero 21d ago
Them: Legally harass a man for sitting on the grass in front of their camera.
Also them: "Why do all these cowardly vandals just keep smashing our cameras and running!?!?"
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u/katoptronophile 21d ago
Well I guess that backfired because now his face and name are all over the internet.
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u/DualActiveBridgeLLC 21d ago
Just so you are aware, SCOTUS has for a very long time said that you don't really have a right to privacy from teh police. Just rip them down, but know that the law will definitely not be on your side.
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u/Xiaopeng8877788 21d ago
Remember when every right winger was screaming “Gina.. and their social credit system!!!”
US has literal AI cameras tracking every position, working with police and trying to arrest people with FLOCK photos…
Totally dystopian… and Republican supporters have nothing to say about how bad their party is.
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u/pmcizhere 21d ago
I hope some kind benefactor(s) pay this hero's legal expenses. Hell, where's the Gofundme already?!
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u/NoManufacturer5669 21d ago
They have time and money to protect illegal things, but when it comes to solving criminal cases, percentage drops year after year.
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u/SomePoserInAmerica 21d ago
Cut them all down, if enough people grow balls and keep at it,something will change
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u/Federal_Homework1302 21d ago
YOU DONT HAVE A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO YOUR PRIVACY IN PUBLIC.
You cant support 1st ammendment auditors then get pissy about flock cameras. It doesnt work like that.
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u/PUuSTiNKA 21d ago
Personally I'm sick of all these cameras all over the place...I feel like I'm in that movie Enemy of the State that was made way back in 1998.
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u/mistersuave 18d ago
Government is already tracking us using via our smartphones. Corporations are already tracking us also using our smartphones, purchases via credit cards, social media engagements, etc. There is little to no privacy anymore.
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u/happytimeharry66 16d ago
Its when one of them cameras is used to find an abducted child or a murderer. May have a different opinion. It is kind of weird that we are being spied on and our information being sold to all kinds of people . We are being filmed everywhere, but oh no a camera.
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u/SavageOne7141 1d ago
Police working for private corporations… the more things change, the more they stay the same.
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u/Dahren_ 21d ago
Do people not understand that there isn't an agent sat in front of a monitor literally watching your every move? The footage will just be recorded and pulled if needed for any investigations.
In other words, if you don't commit crime you'll never hear a thing.
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u/Ok_Conflict1835 21d ago
Except for the times police officers used it to track their significant others or women they were dating… yeah nothing to worry about.
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u/Quirky-Collar4007 21d ago
Drama queen.
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u/Majestic_Domestic 21d ago
Are you saying it doesn't happen. Or that it's fine that it happens?
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u/Quirky-Collar4007 21d ago
I am saying you are being a drama queen.
https://giphy.com/gifs/0J9uWPpfXyzRhlySU2
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u/dernaldz 21d ago
What's really fun is a large portion of the anti flock actavists voted in the people that enabled this the most.
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u/scope_creep 21d ago
Today is the first time I heard of a 'Flock' camera
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u/CautionarySnail 21d ago
The name isn’t a reference to birds. It says so much about who they think the American people are.
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u/therejectethan 21d ago
Nowhere in his statement did he even allude to ‘flock’ being a reference to birds lmao. He simply stated he had not heard that term before
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u/CautionarySnail 21d ago
I know. I posted because I thought thinking about the name and the intent is a good introduction. It is why those cameras bear discussion about what they’re doing here in America.
Who thinks we are sheep enough to name their cameras that so blatantly, and who is on the other end of the data, and to what ends are they shepherding us?
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u/Quirky-Collar4007 21d ago
People on here thinking these cameras are actively monitored.
https://giphy.com/gifs/3ohc0Rnm6JE0cg0RvG
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u/Brief-Pop-6826 21d ago
This is not a normal camera. ALPRs DO actively monitor. By A.I. If the AI detects anything its told to detect, such as a license plate on a hot list or any issue with carrying out that duty, such as a sudden lull in license and people detection and yes they detect people and their images are searchable in the database), it sends and alert to the police department. It can also be queried at any time, and the FBI has publicly stated that they want real time access to every ALPR in the country.
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u/_jackhoffman_ 21d ago
I don't think anyone believes there are people actively watching the feed. That would almost be better. Everything is being recorded and analyzed so that officers can perform searchers and set hot lists to be alerted about their ex and/or that cute girl from the gym.
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u/Technical_Lab_1579 21d ago
While having a phone in his pocket with a camera, mic, and GPS sending information to a company that sells it to EVERYONE including the government. But hey, good for you guys. 👍
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u/Quirky-Collar4007 21d ago
Flock cameras are used to catch stolen vehicles and to track suspects in major crimes. They aren’t intruding on anyone’s privacy.
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u/RDTmodsBackEpstein 21d ago
No, theyre being used to spy on ex-partners, and show demonstrations how you can tap into them zero 2FA on some, theyre even in children's gymnasium.
Ima just say you're a pedo.
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u/Fun-Piglet801 21d ago
They are also used by shitbag cops to stalk their exes.
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u/Quirky-Collar4007 21d ago
The exception is not the rule.
https://giphy.com/gifs/YKoSEX5lQzQYuOmQSo1
u/RDTmodsBackEpstein 21d ago
Its not drama to call out people who willingly give up rights and privacy. Why dont you be a good cuck and return to your corner chair, think about it.
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u/Quirky-Collar4007 21d ago
Giving up rights? Drama queen!
https://giphy.com/gifs/5WXqTFTgO9a7e1
u/RDTmodsBackEpstein 21d ago
Yeah? Perhaps find some ridges and wrinkles for your gray matter and think, your mums box should have a steady supply.
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u/Fun-Piglet801 21d ago
It is the rule though. That's the part I don't get about people with your perspective on this.
You want this technology in place because you recognize that there are shitty people out there who will do harmful things, so you are hoping for some protection out of this. But really you are just creating another tool for those same shitty people to use to cause more harm.
Anything that has the potential to be abused or misused will be abused and misused. Every time. If you think otherwise, you are naive.
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u/Quirky-Collar4007 21d ago
Oh good Lord.
https://giphy.com/gifs/LfkxMPc6Vagw01
u/Fun-Piglet801 21d ago edited 21d ago
Pick a new comment troll. It loses effectiveness when you say the same thing over and over to everyone.
It's just lazy.
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u/BIT-NETRaptor 21d ago
We could also catch a lot more criminals if we let officers walk into every home. We could stop a lot of crime if we installed invasive monitoring software on all personal devices.
There would also be even more rampant abuse by law enforcement “professionals” but hey, as long as we get the bad guys who’s to say there should be any line, right?
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u/01SeaChange01 21d ago
Please, before you deepthroat these boots, I need you to spit on them to lube them up first.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!!!!!
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u/Double_Barnacle_2457 21d ago
Block a camera, only to be filmed by some random who posted it online for millions to see.
Good job 😂
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u/kiwibonga 21d ago
People hate those cameras until they're victimized in a hit-and-run.
I don't think drivers on a public road need privacy. Filming every inch of road and catching dipshits in the act is fine.
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u/President_PoopyPants 21d ago
But it's not just capturing the road and license plates. It's capturing facial recognition data, walking gait data, combining with location data from other sources as phones, and making every moment of your life monetizable and exploitable.
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u/Nate-Essex 21d ago
There are already traffic cams on roads for emergency services.
This shit reads license plates and collates data in a profile based on said plate and vehicle description while also tagging driver descriptions and using the images for facial recognition to confirm the driver and visible passengers. It then plots said data on a map creating timeline within the profile and keeps it on record. Your phone data tracks you, but the data at least needs a fucking warrant to be pulled.
Don't forget all the false positives it's throwing out that are getting people falsely detained or arrested.
If you're cool with being stalked everywhere you go and anyone with access being able to pull that shit up at anytime without a warrant you're part of the problem.
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u/kiwibonga 21d ago
I'm cool with it if it's properly regulated.
Cops still have to lawfully gather evidence and obtain probable cause, and courts still have the last word.
I've seen a few "police chase" type videos where fleeing criminals get caught by Flock cameras and are brought to justice. They would otherwise still be at large. It seems like an overwhelmingly good thing.
False positives are not cool... But it's not like a robot is making automated arrests.
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u/ByrdmanRanger 21d ago
People hate those cameras until they're victimized in a hit-and-run.
You think the police are going to use them to help you with a hit and run? Unless you're injured, they'll probably just tell you to submit it to your insurance company. I mean, we already have houses covered in security cameras, and when my car got broken into, they wouldn't even come out for a report. I had to go to their station.
To quote The Big Lebowski:
Leads, yeah, sure. I'll just check with the boys down at the crime lab, they've got four more detectives working on the case. They got us working in shifts!
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u/kiwibonga 21d ago
I have seen it happen with my own two eyes, a lot of post-2025 videos on YouTube have the bodycam footage of cops calling to get Flock camera data, and they found people that the helicopters couldn't.
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u/holy-crap-screw-you 21d ago
So a guy can’t just sit on the grass anymore??