Mass surveillance of cars

[chr0naut]

You can't stop people from wanting to take short cut to wealth. Even if everyone had really good jobs. That isn't going to stop some from wanting more, and wanting to take the quick and easy route to riches. Not to mention capitalism requires poor people. If everyone had really good jobs. Your happy meal would cost 75-100 bucks. Pretty much nullifying the good job. Capitalism requires the poor so a few can be wealthy. And the 80/20 rule says it works that way in every economy. And the poor are generally the majority of drug addicts. Since it provides a temporary relief from their shit lives.  

No one can afford healthcare now. 25 bucks worth of meth would cost 250 bucks at the clinic. And the clinic isn't going to let you get plastered. Which is generally the objective of doing drugs. And if you give people a job of administering drugs, to drug addicts. their job ends when you cure the addicts. So not a lot of incentive to cure them. Since all the clinics would close. But they would never get off the ground, because no one is going to finance it.

They surveillance isn't to stop drug runners/criminals.

Clinics and licensed sources of drugs could produce bulk quantities for minimal cost.

American drugs cost so much money because American medicine is more about money than it is about the health welfare of the public.

[UltraBudgie]

Clinics and licensed sources of drugs could produce bulk quantities for minimal cost.

American drugs cost so much money because American medicine is more about money than it is about the health welfare of the public.

The solution to drugs is not more drugs. That won't work.

Such a solution requires a population that, in majority, has strong willpower and self-reliance. And frankly that has been bred out of Americans, psychologically undermined by over a century of propaganda and indoctrination creating dependence on government and institution as a substitute for self, family, and community.

Look at the institutions whom American depend on to keep their localities safe and uncorrupted by vice. They haven't exactly succeeded. Yet all the public is doing is fretting about how to "fix" that, as if that dependence on corrupt power isn't by design.

The mask-dropping of the surveillance and police state feeds that. If Americans have a problem with drug dealers next door, do they report it to the police or DEA? No, only very rarely, mostly because both left and right extremists have painted those institutions as repressive, corrupt, and dangerously fascist. Everyone know you don't narc, that makes you a rat and only get blowback. That's the problem. So victims in neighborhoods made lawless sit back helpless, letting both the criminals and corrupt institutions proceed unimpeded.

Because really, what did you expect America? Law enforcement must prioritize its actions, and without a public morality—which has also been bred out of Americans—such prioritization is led by convenience, institutional power, and corruption.

The only thing that can change this status quo is strong public morality and self-reliance. Intolerance. The kind of self-reliance that gives rise to citizen militias willing to enforce the law, if the "authorities" won't. Hopefully it will not come to that, no one wants a breakdown of law, but as long as it can't, there's no incentive for the system to change.

[Unknownparadox]

Everyone know you don't narc, that makes you a rat and only get blowback. 

Or gets you blown away. The cops are to busy shooting people for getting smart at a traffic stop, to protect anyone who turns in a drug dealer.

[UltraBudgie]

The cops are to busy shooting people for getting smart at a traffic stop

Is that really the world you believe you live in? I can't blame you— that's the perception that is encouraged both on the left and right: that law enforcement is the enemy, even of the law-abiding. It's sad. Expect more. Because, it's not true. Yes, we live in a surveillance state. And yes, the police and federal law enforcement can crack down with great might, where they want to. And they know much more than they let on. But they're not setting out to oppress the random general public, they're protecting state and institutional power, and the powerful first, and eliminating crime from society second, only where necessary to bolster those goals. That is the way it is in practice. The image of fear that you're putting forth actually augments that being the case, because it stops the public from expecting better. Although if you have personal experience to share that might anchor your point?

[Unknownparadox]

Is that really the world you believe you live in? 

It's the world you live in too. You are correct when you said.
 

they're protecting state and institutional power, and the powerful first

Here is the reality of it. You are less likely to have a problem with a cop, the wealthier you look. There is two reasons for this. 

1. Prosecutors want easy convictions, for their campaign to become a judge. Arresting wealthy people who have good lawyers doesn't produce that. You end up with a lot acquittals and dismissals. And possibly some unwanted publicity. Less wealthy people, generally don't have lawyers, are ignorant of the law, and will usually take a plea deal. Easy Peasy conviction another feather in their cap.

2. In return for these easy convictions the cops provide. The prosecutors look the other way on most abuse of power, and people. 

I have had this discussion with democrat and republicans. Cops don't care what color you are. You get smart with them or point out where they are breaking the law. They absolutely have no problem beating the shit out of you, and they usually get away with it. This has lead to them being a little over confident, shooting some people and tazing the hell out of others. 

Is it happening every day? It's not in the news every day. It's happened enough though that anyone paying attention knows they will shoot you, for nothing. I try to keep from having any interactions with the cops. As they can easily go bad.

The last interaction I had with the cops. Was because a adjacent commercial building to my single apartment, alarm went off. The cop is sitting outside of the commercial building when I get home. Not 10 minutes later, there is a knock on the door. I got a cop standing in front of me. With his hand on his gun, a K9 cop to my left, with one hand on his gun, and one on the back door ready to release their attack dog.

The cop ask me is this a apartment, I said yeah I open the door and show him the living area, with couch, chairs and a TV.  Then he asked me why I went inside since I seen him in front of the commercial building. I told that idiot politely, it's none of my business. It's best not to interfere with law enforcement. He said well that's true. Then he proceeds to ID me and run my name. Can you imagine that? A cop just knocks on your door, ask for ID and then runs your name. 

Now had I explained to the Nazi he had no arrest warrant, no search warrant and no business knocking on my door, let alone ID'ing me and running my name. I would have had a several dog bites and possibly a few gun shot wounds.

[UltraBudgie]

Here is a case from Georgia this weekend where a cop sold data from the Flock database:

Sandy Springs police officer terminated after allegedly using city’s Flock cameras for personal gain

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Sandy Springs has terminated Reserve Sgt. Francis Esposito, after an internal investigation, was found to have used the city’s camera system for personal gain and may have engaged in corporate espionage.

Sandy Springs, like many other cities, uses Flock cameras. The technology allows officers to have a real-time view of the streets and includes technology like license plate readers.

Former Atlanta Detective Vince Velazquez says the technology can be incredibly valuable to solve crimes.

“It’s an invaluable tool for law enforcement to actually solve cases, homicide cases, sexual assault cases,” Velazquez said.“And it’s so valuable for an officer to, like, abuse that, just a personal gain, it’s really unquestionable. It’s just really, really bad behavior.”

According to an investigation, Esposito used his city Flock login to run the license plates of multiple people, and allegedly transferred the data to Signal 8, a company he also worked for.

“The data is the gold mine for literally any startup, any company that is trying to grow,” Emory University professor Rajiv Garg said.

The investigation concluded that Esposito may have violated multiple Georgia laws, including corporate espionage.

When investigators asked about the allegations, Esposito refused to answer the questions and resigned.

“I think that this officer probably understood the rules and understood what he was doing was wrong,” Velazquez said.

Signal 8 says they never told Esposito to run the license plates, and if Esposito ran the plates, he did so on his own.

The company further states, “At no point did Mr. Esposito share, transmit, or transfer data from Flock Safety or the City of Sandy Springs to Signal 8 Systems.”

The whistleblower who started the investigation was a former Signal 8 employee, who told investigators the Flock data was used for beta testing and validation of their product.

“It’s clearly a violation of policy and perhaps state law,” Velazquez said. “So for this officer to violate that trust, it makes anyone who lives in this state, or Sandy Springs, or Atlanta, wonder what other police officers may be out there actually running tags.”

https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/fulton-...OAHGLIE2U/

If this company is collecting video of all cars in public, and the city is paying them for it, why aren't these database searches public-domain? Shouldn't this be something the general public can access?

[Maxmars]

Here is a case from Georgia this weekend where a cop sold data from the Flock database:

https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/fulton-...OAHGLIE2U/

If this company is collecting video of all cars in public, and the city is paying them for it, why aren't these database searches public-domain? Shouldn't this be something the general public can access?

This is almost ridiculously a gift to someone....

Imagine the tax payers ... fleeced to pay for tools... so that the 'trusted' can make bank... and the public is restricted from accessing it... so that the trusted can make bank... and the information which is ALL public information... costs us money to secure from abuse... while the trusted can make bank... and no one can really "protect" themselves from the abuse.... BY DESIGN.

Public money - public goods/services - the data is ours by reason and logic... we can't even "oversee" the way they make bank...everyday... with our data... which we payed to secure and house...

[Wild Bill]

Here is a case from Georgia this weekend where a cop sold data from the Flock database:

https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/fulton-...OAHGLIE2U/

If this company is collecting video of all cars in public, and the city is paying them for it, why aren't these database searches public-domain? Shouldn't this be something the general public can access?

https://deflock.me/
https://www.fogds.com/

[UltraBudgie]

Border Patrol is monitoring US drivers and detaining those with ‘suspicious’ travel patterns

The U.S. Border Patrol is monitoring millions of American drivers nationwide in a secretive program to identify and detain people whose travel patterns it deems suspicious, The Associated Press has found.

The predictive intelligence program has resulted in people being stopped, searched and in some cases arrested. A network of cameras scans and records vehicle license plate information, and an algorithm flags vehicles deemed suspicious based on where they came from, where they were going and which route they took. Federal agents in turn may then flag local law enforcement.

Suddenly, drivers find themselves pulled over — often for reasons cited such as speeding, failure to signal, the wrong window tint or even a dangling air freshener blocking the view. They are then aggressively questioned and searched, with no inkling that the roads they drove put them on law enforcement’s radar.

Once limited to policing the nation’s boundaries, the Border Patrol has built a surveillance system stretching into the country’s interior that can monitor ordinary Americans’ daily actions and connections for anomalies instead of simply targeting wanted suspects. Started about a decade ago to fight illegal border-related activities and the trafficking of both drugs and people, it has expanded over the past five years.

The Border Patrol has recently grown even more powerful through collaborations with other agencies, drawing information from license plate readers nationwide run by the Drug Enforcement Administration, private companies and, increasingly, local law enforcement programs funded through federal grants. Texas law enforcement agencies have asked Border Patrol to use facial recognition to identify drivers, documents show.

This active role beyond the borders is part of the quiet transformation of its parent agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, into something more akin to a domestic intelligence operation. Under the Trump administration’s heightened immigration enforcement efforts, CBP is now poised to get more than $2.7 billion to build out border surveillance systems such as the license plate reader program by layering in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.

The result is a mass surveillance network with a particularly American focus: cars.

This investigation, the first to reveal details of how the program works on America’s roads, is based on interviews with eight former government officials with direct knowledge of the program who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak to the media, as well as dozens of federal, state and local officials, attorneys and privacy experts. The AP also reviewed thousands of pages of court and government documents, state grant and law enforcement data, and arrest reports.

[article continues]

https://apnews.com/article/immigration-b...32d32098cd

Nice long article from AP today. Note the use of parallel construction to hide the surveillance-state apparatus.

[Maxmars]

https://apnews.com/article/immigration-b...32d32098cd

Nice long article from AP today. Note the use of parallel construction to hide the surveillance-state apparatus.

The proof is in the pudding.

The mass-surveillance apparatus was engineered...
they will say it is a "state of affairs"

That's engineered too.

Your insurance companies (banks) know and in some cases can control cars... along 
with the industry that "made you pay" for those "features" in the first place.

It seeped in through phones and connectivity-lust...

Now we opine on it's "connection" to one ideology, or party, or faction of people.

As if it weren't a stage set... and long ago planned for.

They called such ideas "crazy" and "fallacious" even "traitorous" when they were 
first publicly squelched... decades ago... so odd to see...

Once again... it appears it is true...

These tools are explicitly made to use against personal privacy... as a weapon.

Exactly who is directly amassing, collating, analyzing, and deploying this information?
As a "product?"
Are there "third-party" relationships there?... of course there are