this post was submitted on 15 Aug 2026
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Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) are AI-powered cameras that capture and analyze images of all passing vehicles, storing details like your car’s location, date, and time. They also capture your car’s make, model, color, and identifying features such as dents, roof racks, and bumper stickers, often turning these into searchable data points. These cameras collect data on millions of vehicles—regardless of whether the driver is suspected of a crime. While these systems can be useful for tracking stolen cars or wanted individuals, they are mostly used to track the movements of innocent people.
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Would be cool if this flock debacle dragged the rest of the CCTV industry down with it..
Zero chance. There are good reasons to have cameras, it’s the centralized database that is truly dystopian.
Bah even private cameras are dystopian (unless you go through the rigamarole of self-hosting, and maybe have a "remote site backups" agreement with a friend/family member).
I shudder to think how many hours of home security video Bezos has access to. I wonder how quickly the worlds largest AI datacenter can comb through all of them and identify the ones with naked or partially-clothed children, and, ahem...set them aside.
You already see AI flagging innocent, private photos as CSAM...even "baby in the bath" that literally every parent has taken...and sometimes even calling the authorities. I'm absolutely certain that if their AI is flagging them, it's also...ahem...archiving them...for "further review" (with a bottle of lotion). And I'm also certain there are plenty of very fortunate perverts at mid-levels with access to it, who landed their dream-job.
Let's not forget that said "good reasons" are all but absent in real scenarios. 🤮
private cameras make tons of sense for liability protection, but there is no reason to let the pigs access it without a warrant or you directly benefiting.
Yeah you want a camera to be able to identify who robbed you, but not one that allows the cops to see your coke filled backyard orgy. The only way to have that is to have full control of the cameras and recordings