- cross-posted to:
- news@lemmy.world
- technology@midwest.social
- cross-posted to:
- news@lemmy.world
- technology@midwest.social
Regretful cities aren’t sure how to cancel their surveillance contracts, so they are literally covering their cameras.
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This is an better idea. I was going to shoot them with a paintball gun.
iirc, paintball marker is slightly translucent, right? So maybe like…a sticker?
Some of the cameras by me are a little high up, which is why initially I thought paintball.
I bet I could fly a drone with a trash bag over it though.
One of those spray-can extension poles would probably work pretty well.
Must have been a scary ghost that disabled those spy cameras.
My neighbor used to put marbles in his paintball gun
Why aren’t they just… Removing them?
Oh. Its probably because removing them is unnecessarily complicated so they need the company to come do it for them.
You don’t have to worry about a complicated removal if you have an angle grinder.
You’d be surprised how few worries I have when I’m brandishing an angle grinder
on a totally unrelated topic, but harbor freight is a great place to get affordable tools.
And if you time your visit right, free bucket!
If you had read the article you’d know that the cities aren’t sure if they can remove them under the terms of their contracts with flock. So they’re covering them while working that out.
I’m pretty sure one city did remove them and then Flock just came and put new ones up which is what lead to the trash bags.
We don’t do that here bro
Why read all article when some article good enough?
What am I? Some kind of readist? A phisosopher?
READING FOR NERDS
I’ve heard the excuse that they’re private property so they can’t. They’re not hard to remove though. They’re usually just attached to poles with pipe clamps.
I’m not so sure about that because even if they are privately owned, that doesn’t mean they have the inherent right to be mounted on a city pole. The property isnt harmed by removing them from the pole and storing them in a deep underground bunker infested with Hanta Virus rats, black widows, and alligators.
If I remember correctly the agreement is some kind of lease, so the city/county doesn’t really own them after they are installed.
Article reminded me that some people say “by accident” (me) and some say “on accident” (my cousins).
Thats a journalist though. They should know better.
I 100% guarantee that “deactivated” cameras are still operational. It’s just not the City getting the data.
They don’t just collect video either. Audio, network traffic, Bluetooth devices, tons of electronic intelligence can still be gotten with covered cameras
seems like they should use those metallic ballon type bags.
The Bluetooth tracking is much more sinister than people know. The city I’m in has devices specifically for this placed strategically along with the alpr and cameras. Its fuckin’ wild. Can’t even leave without them tracking you.
I don’t know how, but I bet there’s an enterprising way to make a nice cheap battery powered Bluetooth scrambler that can be stuck right on one of those poles with a magnet and just absolutely ruin their signals.
Heard lots of precious metals in them, wink wink, nudge, nudge, and all that then LoL
Welp. It’s too bad the shitty hotel I used to work at got shut down by the city.
We had TONS of meth heads that would be very appriciative of that information.
Really though, don’t do the precious metals part, cuz that’s what will get you caught. Carefully destroying them? Very doable, I strongly suspect.
The precious metals content realistically isn’t interesting at all unfortunately. You could make a bit reselling the internal components (like probably not even 3 digits), but the value on the actual copper/etc is negligible. The solar panel is probably the most interesting piece, but the components are cheap as fuck.
Its to encourage meth heads who only need 20 bucks and are desperate enough to go to jail for a lil bit of copper
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or take the whole pole its attached to.
I say take the company but that’s cause theres tons of copper wire and plumbing in the walls
I would have bit of extra respect for a youtuber breaking down to get the precious metals out of specifically flok cameras
Sounds like these cities need an adopt-a-Flock program to get these lonely civil rights violations into new forever homes
Trash bags just do that sometimes…
Getting the plastic bag scene from American Beauty vibes.
Do also the other thing, where you brake it apart. Same thing, but it’s permanently.
Or accelerate it apart
I read the beginning of the title as “Cities are Cowering” and now I think it could easily be a part of an alternate title.
Like your the damn government… Just remove the devices, tell Flock where they can pick them up in the next two weeks otherwise they will be sold as is on open market and pay the termination fee or potential lawsuit. Cities get sued like all the time and I am confident even a moderately competent lawyer could find a cheap way out.
Fun fact the panel, inverter, and battery set up in these do not have any tracking features, that’s all in the internals for the camera controller. It’s enough to charge any smart phone or tablet if someone you know is living outside and should have a need of that. You do not need anything more than a Philips head screwdriver for most versions, and a security bit for others, both of which you can have for pennies at any hardware store.
Some flock stuff has microphones so avoid talking during the maintenance session 😜
If you cut the solar panel wire at night, no one will know when it happened.
Charge controllers detect open circuit connections, so it will very likely be in a log when suddenly the controller has an open circuit on the input terminals.
Spray paint the solar panel?
Spray paint the camera
They also include SIM cards that come with a Flock-funded data plan.
Bring an all metal tool box to put the camera in it. Instant faraday cage.
Best to open it somewhere that is not frequented by you though, then you can remove the battery and other useful stuff for recycling.
Or just throw the whole thing in the nearest dumpster and let the garbage company take care of it.
Remove the batteries first!
I guess the problem starts when two other cameras are watching the same area the first camera is in.
Makes them more easily identifiable so they can be properly disposed of.
I guess technically they already are in a trashbag.
I’m surprised Dayton is doing even that. It’s a low bar, sure, but it’s also Dayton.
You can 100% remove them with a baseball bat.
They are the city. They can send public works out there to dismantle the cameras and then send Flock the bill for it, if they are unwilling to dismantle themselves.
I’d like to think that the bag is step 1. Step 2 is to balance an old car tire on top, and set it on fire.
I love the theatrics of it, but surely something less polluting can achieve the same results
Guillotines?
- City installs trash bags because they’re contractually obligated to keep the devices installed and powered on
- Someone hosts an impromptu Office Space fan meetup, with a fun reenactment of the printer scene
- City sees this, responds with an obvious but legally non-actionable tweet response suggesting it continue (e.g. “Fartsburg loves Mike Judge films, too! So nice to see our citizens enjoying the various forms of recreation and socialization ths city has to offer.”), along with some conspicuously-placed garbage cans near all of the cameras’ installed locations.
- ???
- (No) Profit. (for Flock)
I wonder how safe the poles are, compared to well tested road signs that are up. Those easily break off when hit. Will you end up with a solar panel through your windshield in an accident? I feel like one good lawsuit could make Flock have to replace every one of them if a lawyer can convince 12 people that they are a physical danger.
I’ve seen multiple videos showing they aren’t installed properly and won’t break away.
the city was sharing Flock camera data for immigration enforcement
Ah, these are in American cities.
apparently on accident,
Oh yes, definitely American.
(Yes I know I skipped over the part about Ohio)
It’s okay, we don’t care about Ohio either
Just read the headline. Good
One step away from being relocated to their actual destination: the bin.
honestly idk why they bothered covering them. just disconnect them… as long as they aren’t damaged I doubt flock could seek anything on it.
likely safer if they ever get caught. it’s not damaging property if there’s simply a trash bag over it.
They have solar panels and batteries, they aren’t connected to anything.
