In a chilling sign of how far law enforcement surveillance has encroached on personal liberties, 404 Media recently revealed that a sheriff’s office in Texas searched data from more than 83,000 automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras to track down a woman suspected of self-managing an abortion. The officer searched 6,809 different camera networks maintained by surveillance tech company Flock Safety, including states where abortion access is protected by law, such as Washington and Illinois. The search record listed the reason plainly: “had an abortion, search for female.”

  • iAvicenna@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    well we now know when cops are really motivated they can find the person they are looking for. the problem is what they are motivated by.

  • TheObviousSolution@lemm.ee
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    1 month ago

    States allowing this access over state borders and ICE presence are complicit with the policies of the states it is coming from. People from the US have to realize, that the people abusing this, being chosen for ICE, and working to detain ICE detainee’s illegally, are operating from very specific states. This bloodless civil war has cost the US its democracy, and it’s f-ing hilarious how people think they are going to have legit midterms.

    • jonne@infosec.pub
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      1 month ago

      The issue is that this data is held by a private company, not the government, which is how governments can get around restrictions regarding searches and data collection. You also see this with ICE and border patrol just buying ‘marketing data’ from airlines to figure out who was on what flight.

    • FancyPantsFIRE@lemm.ee
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      1 month ago

      Doesn’t France have extensive camera coverage of public areas? Though for sure the French would riot were they misused in this fashion.

      • GrumpyDuckling@sh.itjust.works
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        1 month ago

        There’s a big difference between a passive surveillance camera and a network of devices that logs every time you go past one of the 83k+ spots or a car equipped with them. It’s warrantless tracking and a constitutional violation. They’ve already been declared illegal in several criminal cases, but it hasn’t reached a higher court yet. There is a lawsuit over these but I haven’t heard anything about it in awhile.

        Edit: It survived a motion to dismiss and is moving forward in federal court.

        www.yahoo.com/news/flock-camera-case-could-local-190000699.html

        • notfromhere@lemmy.ml
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          1 month ago

          Sorry but no there is no difference other than the words you use to describe them. Camera networks is surveillance.

          • Auli@lemmy.ca
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            1 month ago

            A bunch of privately owned camera systems and one controlled by the government are vastly different.

          • Pup Biru@aussie.zone
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            1 month ago

            the difficulty to search is a significant difference: there’s practical way to search 83,000 cameras manually… automation makes it a problem more than the cameras themselves

    • Auli@lemmy.ca
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      1 month ago

      Which is funny since Americans always called French cowards. But who are the real cowards?

      • Björn Tantau@swg-empire.de
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        1 month ago

        Of course the people opposing an illegitimate war are the cowards. Not those ordering poor people to die on the other side of the world.

        Freedom fries indeed.

  • puddinghelmet@lemm.ee
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    1 month ago

    Does trump want America to be like an extremist religious government? Like in Iran? Like in the Handmaids tale? The F***???

    • YtA4QCam2A9j7EfTgHrH@infosec.pub
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      1 month ago

      You should look up the Dominionists. The speaker of the house is one of them and at least one Justice. They are in power and that should scare us.

  • Kaboom@reddthat.com
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    1 month ago

    I’m guessing this system was set up well before this happened. At least it’s getting attention now. Better late than never