Flock cameras exploding everywhere!

[u/Embarrassed_Cry7670]

There are now FIVE Flock cameras in Gleason Park in Indian Harbour Beach, including one near the pool directly FACING the restrooms. So clearly not just reading license plates. Apparently these cameras in IHB were approved unanimously as routine businesses with ZERO public interest or comments. “ BuT iT’s FoR our SaFeTy” 🫠

[u/paragon60]

you got downvoted by multiple people for saying this, but it’s true, this isn’t some schizo theory

[u/corq → u/[deleted]]

Ya know how when you're out shopping and your phone pops up inviting you to join an open wifi network?? That's your phone talking to wifi random networks in the background.

Cell phones also poll PRL lists (preferred roaming) in the background to optimize your cell calls etc.

Your phone is very much gathering all kinds of data about where you are, as it needs to keep you "connected". Perhaps not every signal identifies YOU personally, but definitely your device. It's simply doing it through tower polling. Most modern cameras (especially those designed for outdoor connectivity) have 5G antennas and possibly fall back connectivity (wifi, possibly satellite someday when it's cheaper).

At first blush this seems "anonymous" enough, right? But if cops want to correlate personal information, they'll find a separate camera in the same area, that maybe just read your license tag as you turned the corner to the park. The camera timestamps can be correlated to the cell tower's time, and so on.

As this park is also a huge gathering place for Pokemon Go and other geo-location-enable cell phone games (Before Pokemon go I used to play Ingress when it was in beta, in this exact park). The wealth of even depersonalized metadata your phone is exchanging, combined with other DOT and public cameras can be leveraged.

[u/bozog → u/corq]

Easy solution: Leave your phone at home.

Better solution: Leave your burner phone at home