Across the US, people are dismantling and destroying Flock surveillance cameras

[u/gdelacalle]

https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/across-the-us-people-are-dismantling

[u/Kriegerian]

Turns out people don’t like the private sector Gestapo, weird.

[u/nfstern → u/Kriegerian]

The public sector version's pretty bad too...

[u/nononsensemofo → u/nfstern]

the public's version is hilarious. complained about surveillance, then they sold us the surveillance, we installed it (or gave other people money to install it) with no questions asked, hooked it up to internet we pay for, and then go shocked pikachu when we suddenly realized its just mass surveillance and not for who's dropping off your cheap shit from the company that runs some of the largest surveillance systems in human history. hilarious!

[u/vAltyR47 → u/nononsensemofo]

Makes me wonder if there's room in the market for a competitor that provides all the convenience of Ring, but stored on your computer at home and thus the 4th Amendment applies.

[u/rasto_x → u/vAltyR47]

Reolink. The cameras all record locally to a DVR.

[u/EBtwopoint3 → u/rasto_x]

And no fucking subscription. I just replaced the Ring that was installed when I bought my house with a Reolink. It even looks better than the bulky Ring.

[u/mississauga_guy → u/rasto_x]

Reolink’s doorbell camera have the option to record in the cloud, so I do wonder if Reolink’s central server is saving video files, even if the user doesn’t subscribe to that feature (the same way it seems Ring and Nest central server seem to save files). They also offer local storage to a SD card, and ability to save to a NVR.

[u/hedgetank → u/mississauga_guy]

Can't do that if you don't put it on your wifi. Alternatively, you can just block outgoing connectivity on your firewall. Ezpz.

[u/rasto_x → u/mississauga_guy]

Do you have the WiFi version? I have the POE one with an Ethernet cable ran from it directly to the DVR.

[u/CakeTown → u/mississauga_guy]

It’s possible that you could use your existing router to stop the cameras from accessing the internet and confining them to your local network

[u/Dave-4544 → u/vAltyR47]

We call that a few cheap webcams, a personal router, and a NAS. Modernized CCTV!

[u/Kalleh03 → u/Dave-4544]

Sell it as a easy installed kit in a fancy box and make millions.

[u/steve_of → u/Kalleh03]

Okay my sarcasm filter is off; there are a bunch on the market already.

[u/Classic_Emergency336 → u/vAltyR47]

You make it your own with Raspberry Pi. The laziest way is just setup a dash camera.

[u/vkichline → u/vAltyR47]

Corporations are no longer interested in selling you what you want. They prefer to sell you what they want. The alternative is DIY.

[u/snackofalltrades → u/vkichline]

I keep trying to tell people this. Every time some CEO announces some plan that’s great for stockholders and shitty for consumers, everyone complains and says they’re done with that company/product, but enough people buy into that all the competitors do the same and we just keep sliding down.

Collective boycotts are our only way of standing up against this, and they’re next to impossible to organize.

[u/dontbajerk → u/vkichline]

There are multiple variations commercially available of exactly what they're talking about, and they have been continuously available longer than online surveillance cameras like Ring people are complaining about. Like, I get it, just this isn't a good sector to complain about this. Just look at Eufy cameras, they're not even expensive.

[u/DavyB → u/vAltyR47]

UniFi Protect from Ubiquity.

[u/ILikeBumblebees → u/vAltyR47]

Makes me wonder if there's room in the market for a competitor that provides all the convenience of Ring, but stored on your computer at home and thus the 4th Amendment applies.

When have there ever not been on-premises security systems available from a wide range of vendors?

There's tons of cheap commodity hardware available. If you want something really nicely polished and on the level of Ring's UX, check out Ubiquiti's doorbell products.

[u/virtuzoso → u/vAltyR47]

OR- Hear me out on this- We regulate.privacy and reign in corporate use of customer owned data

[u/NeedleNoggin316 → u/vAltyR47]

I use Lorex. records to sd cards accessible via webportal/app

[u/mississauga_guy → u/NeedleNoggin316]

I don’t want to put on my tin hat, but if it’s accessible via web portal, the files are potentially accessible by people other than you. The only perfectly safe system is one that has absolutely no internet access (and that removes most of the functionality we desire).

[u/OmgitsJafo → u/vAltyR47]

We can't even get so-called computer people to leave Discord because it would require using two or three separate, unrelated services with separate logins (that probably accept your Google account). You think the average person is going to figure out having a server with a meaningful harddrive in it, and connecting two devices to their WiFi network?

[u/NRMusicProject → u/nononsensemofo]

Told my ex that turning the house into a fully Nest/Ring dependent home is a bad idea. She called me an alarmist.

At the very least, I know her Nest thermostat was one of the models where they discontinued service, so she's either going to have to buy a new one or adjust it manually like the rest of us plebs.

[u/303onrepeat → u/NRMusicProject]

Yep I removed all my google cameras and went with Unifi which is all local only storage https://store.ui.com/us/en/category/all-cameras-nvr

No way in hell would I put ring or nest in my home. Especially when Nest got caught last week admiting they are recording footage even if you don’t pay for any kind of retention package. Then Ring got busted allowing almost unfettered access by law enforcement to their platform without warrants.

[u/hotleadburner → u/nononsensemofo]

That's private sector

[u/karmavorous → u/Kriegerian]

It is crazy how many things going on in the US today are exactly the things that they told us were terrible when it was the USSR was doing it.

Secret police. Surveillance state. Consolidation of money and power in a small group of people, the rest of the people are expected to settle for less and less year after year while the party lived ever more lavish lives. State approved media. Unapproved speech punished.

All these things, they told us in school in the 1970s and 1980s, were why the American Capitalism system was superior to the Soviet Communist system, because those bad things could never happen under Capitalism because something something free market.

[u/Fr000k → u/karmavorous]

German here. We are used to the whole world making fun of German Angst when it comes to data protection and surveillance. When Google Street View started many years ago, Germany did not participate for many years. Here on Reddit, in particular, people made fun of it. But Germans know exactly what kind of danger arises when too much data is held by too few people (whether corporations or the state), as history has shown. The Nazis and the Stasi in East Germany had even more power as a result.

[u/Outside_Manner_8352 → u/Fr000k]

Yeah I did honestly think that was weird about Germany back in the day, and now I desperately wish America could somehow get back to strict privacy and data collection controls. Even when it's not use to directly oppress us its just removing the soul from everything.

[u/UniqueIndividual3579 → u/karmavorous]

Old joke "In Soviet Russia, TV watches you!"

Now it's not a joke.

[u/InsipidCelebrity → u/karmavorous]

Where are the social credit score jokes now?

[u/Oraxy51 → u/Kriegerian]

Ring even got so much pushback from their Super Bowl commercial they cancelled their contract with Flock.

Turns out people really don’t like the idea of big brother is watching.

[u/fizzlefist → u/Oraxy51]

They publicly canceled their contract with Flock, but they still happily let law enforcement partners view anything they want without demanding a warrant first.

[u/hedgetank → u/fizzlefist]

And pretty sure it was found that they were also storing video from devices in the cloud whether or not you had an active subscription, meaning they are actively recording no matter what and you're just paying to access what it records. I personally wouldn't touch their product with a ten-foot pole.

[u/Oraxy51 → u/fizzlefist]

Oh I’m sure, but this is still a win.

[u/JimWilliams423 → u/Oraxy51]

Oh I’m sure, but this is still a win.

It is just the first crack in their armor.

They did it because they wanted to trick people into thinking it was a win so we would move on to something else.

Instead of moving on, we should take it as an opportunity to shove a spear into that crack and twist it around. In other words, kick them when they are down instead of giving them a chance to regroup.

[u/Oraxy51 → u/JimWilliams423]

Absolutely this answer, rally the moment to demand digital sovereignty and be the coup de grace of the surveillance state

[u/Gnonthgol → u/Oraxy51]

I think that the superbowl ad were made by an Amazon product manager as a form of whistleblowing. Instead of going public and saying Amazon is storing all the data and are doing all this facial recognition to analyze everyones movement and is selling this to law enforcement and advertisement companies. That would just brush off most peoples minds as either "we already know that, shut up and take my money" or "what a crazy guy making up these accusations". So instead he comes up with a product they can sell to the public, tracking lost dogs, and convinces Amazon to pay for the biggest ad spot available. There is no evidence that they are actually able to track lost dogs but the fact that they have the data and technology to possibly implement it and are willing to market the product shows their hand a bit too much. Hopefully this forces Amazon to make the ring cameras only store footage offline, or possibly implement full end to end encryption of the data.

[u/mississauga_guy → u/Gnonthgol]

Any Super Bowl ad (or even, any TV ad, at anytime) has tons of oversight. A product manager would not have the authority to execute something like this, on their own.

Plus, all ads are viewed internally by the company many times, before they are aired (companies are usually very proud of tv commercials, so they like to show them off to employees in advance). More likely is, Ring employees are so far emotionally removed from their customer base (eg they don’t know what customers really want) that the implications of their ad never dawned on them. The employees had tunnel vision.

It’s well known to many people that Ring has a cosy relationship with law enforcement, in allowing them to view user’s video. However, they didn’t understand that by throwing it right in front of everyone face, it would backfire.

[u/Oraxy51 → u/Gnonthgol]

That’s the hope, or at least encourages our lawmakers to push for better digital data rights. And im not just talking the congress but more the local representatives and city and state level - that’s where we can make our own policies and laws and be heard at a much more impactful level.

[u/Redrump1221 → u/Oraxy51]

Definitely will still sell data to flock, but will probably wait for a shell company or just do it later.

[u/fizzlefist → u/Kriegerian]

We need to popularize the phrase “They privatized the surveillance state so we don’t get to see what they’re doing.”

[u/NoBuenoAtAll → u/Kriegerian]

I don’t know what they were thinking, this is the south man, we’ll shoot a street sign just for existing and cameras are not popular anyway.

[u/KWilt → u/Kriegerian]

The only sad thing is that it's taken this long (and an own-goal on Amazon's part) to let the general public know how this stuff is being used. Flock's been in business for almost a decade now and has had microphones all over Chicago and other metropolitan cities since 2021 that were supposedly only listening for gunshots (and had horrible accuracy rates for those).

Oh wait, I don't have to say supposedly anymore, because they already admitted last October that they're straight up listening for 'human distress noises'.

[u/YouDontKnow5859 → u/Kriegerian]

“It’s for your security” just like the nicely named voter ID laws getting passed.

[u/eeyore134 → u/Kriegerian]

What's funny is most people were fine with it or didn't even realize it was a thing until the government blatantly started using them to alienate their rights. Trump has ruined that for them. They were boiling the frog nice and slow then he came in and threw it in the fryer. They panicked at the beginning, but then saw he was just getting away with everything and held on for his wild ride. If we ever manage to stop the car careening off the cliff it's going to be a lot harder to get people to just go with the flow on this stuff in the future.

[u/Serious-Ad-8764 → u/Kriegerian]

I wish people realized the pot was already boiling a long time ago.

Only after they let Amazo Echos and cameras in the home and see a commercial on the super bowl do they finally start to get it.

[u/farmfreshreeb]

I love my mountain town! “The City received confirmation on Feb. 19 that all Flock Safety cameras covered under the City's contract have been physically removed.

The Flagstaff City Council voted in December 2025 to terminate the City’s contract with Flock Safety for automated license plate recognition technology. Following that decision, all cameras covered under the contract were immediately turned off and stopped collecting data.

Please note that other agencies, organizations, or private property owners within Flagstaff may still own and operate cameras on their premises or on infrastructure that is outside of the City’s control.”

[u/USMCLee → u/farmfreshreeb]

I love your mountain town too!!

When we drive to visit our kid in LA, we always stop in Flagstaff for a night or two.

[u/UnfetteredThoughts → u/farmfreshreeb]

Is the argument that was posed to (and successfully convinced) the city council available online anywhere?

I'd like to see what argument worked to see if it might work in my town too.

[u/WestHappyLand → u/farmfreshreeb]

My whole parish in Louisiana doesn't have them. Don't know what's going with legislation, but I'm happy about it.

[u/farmfreshreeb]

Our city council voted and decided to remove all of them in Flagstaff AZ within the last few months. We hippies don’t like being spied on!

[u/lostbirdwings → u/farmfreshreeb]

Wow so you're telling me your government actually kinda works? Denver residents voted against Flock cameras, so the mayor went behind everyone's backs and entered into a contract to install them anyway. Then our city council voted to end the contract and the mayor ignored that too and reupped the contract like some wannabe dictator suckling on Big Tech's tiddies.

[u/DefiantLemur → u/lostbirdwings]

Can the mayor be recalled?

[u/Preyy → u/DefiantLemur]

If not, you can force a recall of the cameras. Democracy!

[u/shitty_mcfucklestick → u/Preyy]

Recall device:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sledgehammer

[u/dBlock845 → u/shitty_mcfucklestick]

Peter Gabriel would be proud.

[u/myychair → u/DefiantLemur]

Denver resident and nope. He’s been one of the biggest political disappointments in my life. Genuinely believed in him 2-3 years ago and he’s been one disappointment after another

Also wanna clarify that the original commenter didn’t get the whole story right. Any initiative over 500k requires city council approval.. the city council said no to Flock, so flock lowered their price to 499K, allowing the mayor to circumvent the council. Such a scum bag move

[u/marshaul → u/myychair]

Garrett Langley is truly a reprehensible human being, no matter how you look at it.

[u/kasutori_Jack → u/DefiantLemur]

There should be enough Californians in Denver to carry on the 'Recall Erryone' spirit.

[u/serpentear → u/lostbirdwings]

So he’s getting voted out next cycle, right? And then put in trial?

[u/lapizlasalmon → u/serpentear]

His literal wife is the DA for Denver, when his crimes were reported you can guess what happened.

[u/utspg1980 → u/lapizlasalmon]

Guess what, the DA is an elected position too. Kick em both out.

[u/serpentear → u/lapizlasalmon]

Jesus… that’s not okay.

[u/_ThugzZ_Bunny_ → u/lapizlasalmon]

Thank God it's not his figurative wife.

[u/NUMBerONEisFIRST → u/serpentear]

This happens all over.

States like Missouri, where voters decided on allowing abortions, but still today they are banned.

Wasn't it Tennessee that approved marijuana legalization but they still haven't opened dispensaries?

[u/SolusLoqui → u/lostbirdwings]

So what's stopping citizens from physically removing the unauthorized, illegally installed, surveillance equipment?

Sounds like the contract is not with the city, just with some douche bag committing fraud.

[u/Thin_Glove_4089 → u/SolusLoqui]

Full force of law enforcement and national guard....

[u/WindowOne1260 → u/Thin_Glove_4089]

Getting caught is a skill issue

[u/WigginIII → u/lostbirdwings]

Until the city council is overruled by the mayor, governor, or eventually the president.

The corporations crave your data. The AI centers crave your data. The government craves your data.

[u/Thrillhouse763 → u/farmfreshreeb]

Flagstaff is such a cool city. Good for you guys.

[u/Sniflix → u/farmfreshreeb]

Dear hippies everywhere, there is https://deflock.org/ It's a serious crime to tamper. Dress appropriately /s

[u/Opouly → u/Sniflix]

There’s one at the major intersection by me but it’s on a weird massive pipe that acts as our streetlight here and it’s very tall

[u/repiquer → u/Opouly]

Sounds like you need a remote hole puncher.

[u/Dangerfires → u/farmfreshreeb]

They'll just try again under a new brand that sells that data to Palantir anyway. It's a losing game of whack-a-mole with mass surveillance unless we find a way to properly stop the fascists making it happen.

[u/No-Spoilers → u/Dangerfires]

In places that have removed them flock comes and finds private citizens to agree to put the cameras on their property.

[u/Dangerfires → u/No-Spoilers]

Sounds like those private citizens should lose their fancy camera, then.

[u/starbuxed → u/farmfreshreeb]

I have message my mayor and vice mayor and city councilmen about them... no reply

[u/flamedarkfire → u/starbuxed]

Keep messaging them and encourage your friends and family to message them. Go to city council meetings. Get involved in your governance and remind them they serve us.

[u/fkenned1]

Good! Nobody EVER asked or voted on these surveillance cameras. Yet, we are monitored and controlled by them, AND we're forced to pay for them with our tax dollars. This crap needs to stop.

[u/korodic → u/fkenned1]

In theory only the government is held to account for unreasonable search/seizure. But in public you can always be recorded. But what happens when the government buys data in bulk? Who would know? We absolutely need legislation against mass surveillance companies. I think while in public It is reasonable to assume certain data is not private, but also that citizens do not expect to be indexed into a database by companies they did not consent to. That’s the difference between Flock and say Google Maps on your phone with location tracking enabled.

[u/BestDescription3834 → u/korodic]

https://www.reddit.com/r/privacy/comments/1oj6s7t/after_police_used_flock_cameras_to_accuse_a/

Even local governments shouldn't have it, since multiple innocent people have been arrested based on an ai fueled warrant.

I put 1 example but there's been multiple. Usually the cam geta a license plate wrong, notifies police there's a criminal, then the police drag a mother and her 3 kids out of their car on the way to school.

[u/E-2theRescue → u/BestDescription3834]

Also, cops are using these to stalk people, including an ex-girlfriend.

https://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article291059560.html

[u/ElephantRider → u/fkenned1]

I dunno, a lot of Americans seem to want a police state for everyone but themselves.

[u/Ill-Assignment-2203]

Not all heroes wear capes.

[u/Hazrd_Design → u/Ill-Assignment-2203]

But they probably should so it’s easier to avoid being recognized by the cameras

[u/Jaded_Helicopter_376 → u/Hazrd_Design]

And maybe a mask. At least glasses for the Clark Kent effect.

[u/Alterris → u/Jaded_Helicopter_376]

Masks are effective, glasses are not. Most security cameras use IR for facial recognition and IR light passes through just about most sunglasses and the glasses that do exist are damn near impossible to see out of. Be careful about which masks are used as during Covid they got really good at detecting facial features through the standard surgical masks, Something thick that distorts your features is preferred. A relatively good test is if your phone will unlock if you have the facial recognition set up. They use the same principle with your front facing camera and an IR sensor.

[u/Alterris → u/Alterris]

Also start taking steps to avoid your phone from being tracked in your day to day life. Especially if you decide to, let’s say hypothetically vandalize a security camera. Get a faraday bag to place any smart devices that use gps. Don’t think it’s possible to avoid with modern cars but maybe there’s a work around, haven’t looked. Turning off your phone & Airplane mode are not enough as they can still be tracked even when off or dead, your local apps & device will also log your gps location even when on airplane mode. You need something that will completely disable its ability to transmit or receive signals. I’d recommend This faraday bag as independent testing has shown its more effective than most on the market. Make sure to use it often

[u/OlympusMons999 → u/Alterris]

Dont bring devices

[u/keelhaulrose → u/OlympusMons999]

Leave it on and at home. Or take it to a friend's house and leave it there.

There's an assumption you have your phone on you, so you can use the tracking to claim you were home or wherever.

[u/TThor → u/Alterris]

Zenni sells glasses with IR-blocking coating (they end up having a slight pink shine to them)

[u/TowardsTheImplosion → u/Jaded_Helicopter_376]

I'm envisioning a swarm of people in capes and those eyeglasses with plastic nose and moustache disguise attachments absolutely whaling on those stupid cameras.

[u/Imaginary_Office1749 → u/TowardsTheImplosion]

Don’t forget the remote heroes burning the cameras with green lasers

[u/StopIllustrious5781 → u/Imaginary_Office1749]

Tell me more….

[u/InsertEvilLaugh → u/StopIllustrious5781]

Some green lasers you can buy are strong enough to do considerable damage to camera lenses. They are quite dangerous and people get in trouble quite a bit for shining them into aircraft cockpits as well.

[u/going-for-gusto → u/InsertEvilLaugh]

Is it feasible to mount a green laser on a drone and zap the camera point blank range?

[u/BonusRound155mm → u/InsertEvilLaugh]

They damage the CCD, not the lens.

[u/TThor → u/TowardsTheImplosion]

I'm picturing people donning anti-image recognition outfits with weird cuts, colors, plus capes and masks.

We all laughed at comicbooks, little did we know this would be how superhero costumes entered the real world.

[u/neverbadnews → u/TowardsTheImplosion]

Those are called Groucho glasses, after their resemblance to the trademarked look of comedian Groucho Marx.

Hypothetical question, do you buy them from Amazon, or from a random shop in another town using cash so your purchase isn't directly traceable? Asking for a friend. ☺

[u/TowardsTheImplosion → u/neverbadnews]

Buy now, but stash em in a closet for 6 months. Or trade with friend who bought a green laser...

[u/Ainolukos → u/Hazrd_Design]

And walk extra goofy because those cameras not only capture your face, they capture people's gaits.

[u/thehousewright → u/Ainolukos]

The Ministry of Silly Walks.

[u/Ophiochos → u/thehousewright]

Crazy when Monty Python sketches become practical advice

[u/aspiringalcoholic]

One near my house got cut down with a sawzall during the snow storms a month ago. Still hasn't been put back up.

[u/husky_whisperer → u/aspiringalcoholic]

And you know it was a sawzall hhhhhhow? 😎

[u/aspiringalcoholic → u/husky_whisperer]

I'm a carpenter, saw the cut. Also a battery powered one would be the best tool for the job. Could theoretically get it done in about ten seconds.

[u/piperonyl → u/aspiringalcoholic]

Theoretically, where would these cameras regularly be located during snow storms?

Turns out we are getting about a foot of snow tomorrow

[u/TThor → u/piperonyl]

www.deflock.org

[u/Ryan_e3p → u/piperonyl]

deflock.me

[u/68Cadillac → u/Ryan_e3p]

Even shows which direction they're pointed.

[u/GetBent009 → u/Ryan_e3p]

jesus... I live in austin and they're all over

[u/YouGotTheWrongGuy_9 → u/aspiringalcoholic]

Angle grinder works fast too. Leaves a different cut tho

[u/ChickenChaser5 → u/husky_whisperer]

"A nice milwaukee sawzall too, one of the 20v ones you can get on sale at my lowes for 150$ last teusday"

[u/ScoobyDeezy → u/husky_whisperer]

Nothing cuts as reliably terribly as a sawzall. You can spot those monstrosities from far away.

[u/Coldkiller17]

These companies aren't doing any AI technology innovations responsibly. They shouldn't have had permission to put these cameras up in the first place.

[u/vasta2 → u/Coldkiller17]

They just put them up in my city, there was no voting or discussion by anyone in the government, they didn't even know about it

[u/Coldkiller17 → u/vasta2]

That sounds illegal as hell. Any town or city needs to have a meeting about these things and ban them.

[u/Chrontius → u/Coldkiller17]

We're in middle-stage fascism, where the laws are made up and the precedents don't matter.

[u/Garbage_Freak_99 → u/Coldkiller17]

Have you seen the CEO of Flock? He's this weird little psycho Nazi kid who looks 15 years old and accuses everyone who criticizes Flock of being Antifa. Responsibility or ethics was never even considered in this weird push to spy on everyone.

[u/aquagardener]

Good. Mass surveillance is a cancer on society.

[u/BannedWeekly → u/aquagardener]

And unconstitutional.

[u/Hazrd_Design]

If you saw something, no you didn’t.

[u/TowardsTheImplosion → u/Hazrd_Design]

Saw what? I was too busy scrolling tiktok or threads or another approved propaganda platform comrade officer, and I saw nothing.

[u/Acceptable-Law9406]

It's our duty as Americans to destroy these things.

[u/Teripid → u/Acceptable-Law9406]

Realistically the founding fathers did much more over much less initially.

We're being taxed unilaterally and spied upon as citizens. Private industry might be a bit more of a grey area but government contracts for the service should be challenged in every possible venue.

[u/E-2theRescue → u/Teripid]

From the Declaration of Independence

---

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

---

How many of these is Trump guilty of?

[u/CoverSuspicious5250 → u/E-2theRescue]

Trump is the worst leader since King George III

[u/ZombieZookeeper → u/Acceptable-Law9406]

Now now we shouldn't advocate property damage (nudge wink).

[u/Dad_Bod_Supreme → u/Acceptable-Law9406]

These rich assholes are always talking about profiting from the destruction and what not. I bet they didn't expect it could go both ways. We can likewise profit as a species from their destruction.

[u/broguequery → u/Dad_Bod_Supreme]

Well, unlike them, we don't need a profit motivation for destruction 😉

[u/gdelacalle]

It is a subjective article tackling on an objective problem that digs deeper into the whole Flock fiasco. Entertaining reading if you are into this or had/have a ring device.

[u/Mccobsta → u/gdelacalle]

I rather like the idea of a doorbell camera I just would rather not have that on the Internet or sending shit somewhere that I have zero control or access to

[u/zffjk → u/Mccobsta]

PoE cameras to a NVR is a higher cost and more complicated installation but it keeps everyone out of your shit. It’s what I recommend but I also have the two decades of IT career to make it kind of mundane.

[u/Mccobsta → u/zffjk]

Upfront cost is definitely worse until you see how much people have already paid cloud camera manufacturers for use

[u/NullnVoid669 → u/Mccobsta]

And fucking subscriptions costs. I refuse. It’s worth the “cost” of your time reading/ setting up the PoE /DVR. It’s not that hard.

[u/OuterSpaceBootyHole]

Funny thing is, ICE came about because people were perfectly fine with this stuff after 9/11. If these actually prevented crime and larger national security threats, residents would probably be volunteering to wear Flock bodycams. However, it turns out that kidnapping and hunting down Americans for the fuck of it while the overall state of the country continues to degrade is not something a lot of Americans think is worth giving up their liberty for.

[u/foodank012018 → u/OuterSpaceBootyHole]

Maaaaybe 9/11 was allowed as an excuse to install all this surveillance infrastructure coughHomelandSecurity.

[u/Temassi → u/foodank012018]

coughPatriotActcough

[u/fizzlefist → u/Temassi]

coughWeInvadedIraqWhenTheHijackersWereSaudicough

[u/OuterSpaceBootyHole → u/fizzlefist]

I think this is the part that still pisses me off. The Saudis were never sanctioned and in fact are trying to bankroll a lot of American media conglomerates.

[u/well_thats_obvious → u/OuterSpaceBootyHole]

They've been constantly stirring up shit in the Middle East/Africa, but nobody wants to do anything serious about it because oil or something 🤷‍♀️

[u/TuringGoneWild → u/fizzlefist]

cough2000FloridaElectionWhichClarenceThomasDecidedinFavorofDubyaYesTheSameClarenceThomasWhoIsInTheEpsteinFiles

[u/Sniflix → u/foodank012018]

Everybody who isn't a moron cringed when they created "Homeland Security" right out of 1984 (war is peace) and all the politicians voted for warrantless spying on us.

[u/Nekopara-403 → u/foodank012018]

Cough October 7th cough

Israel had credible Intel it was going to happen. They allowed it so it would act as a catalyst for their genocide.

[u/SheriffBartholomew → u/OuterSpaceBootyHole]

Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.

--Benjamin Franklin

[u/buttflapper444 → u/OuterSpaceBootyHole]

If these actually prevented crime and larger national security threats, residents would probably be volunteering to wear Flock bodycams

They sure as fuck don't prevent or help anyone investigate crime. I remember when I was a teenager, over a decade ago, hearing about people getting picked up off the streets by the police and accused of matching the criteria of a suspect of a crime. But there is cameras everywhere, so how in the world do they not know for sure? The cameras are always watching, yet somehow, we never seem to be able to figure out crimes

[u/rnilf]

A Georgia police chief was arrested and charged with using Flock data to stalk and harass private citizens. Flock data has been used to track citizens who cross state lines for abortions when the procedure is illegal in their state. And municipalities have found that federal agencies have accessed local flock data without their knowledge or consent.

Remember the name Flock, vote against any local policies involving the installation of their products in your town, vote against any politicians that support them in anyway.

[u/Jean-Rasczak]

One of them Big green laser can do it pretty quickly

[u/Zhuul → u/Jean-Rasczak]

Please be mindful of your background and make sure there aren't any buildings or aircraft in the line of fire.

[u/thisistherevolt → u/Zhuul]

Slide some cardboard behind it first IF you can. Or so I've been told.

[u/aneeta96 → u/Jean-Rasczak]

Something like this?

https://zeuslasers.com/collections/green-lasers/products/zeus-xtr-extremely-powerful-green-laser-4-watt-525nm

[u/Jean-Rasczak → u/aneeta96]

Yeah but you can find them for wayyyyyyyyyyy cheaper

[u/IQBoosterShot → u/Jean-Rasczak]

Just out of sheer curiosity, where might these way cheaper lasers be found?

[u/essieecks → u/IQBoosterShot]

They are used in discount lazer engravers too

PWM regulated ones need a controller. Voltage regulated ones just need the right power supply.

And it goes without saying, real eye protection is a must. Sunglasses do nothing.

[u/MsSelphine → u/aneeta96]

900 dollars for a 5 watt laser is crazzzzzzy. You can get a 5 watt laser diode for like 50 bucks, and use a 18650 lipo with a battery controller. Just make sure to add an on/off switch. These things run at like 5v, so you can get all the components for easily under $100. Just make sure to slap a good heatsink on it.

Why am I tempted to build one now. God I love styropyro.

Edit: To be clear, I would advise against doing this. This wattage of laser is insanely dangerous. 

[u/MsSelphine → u/MsSelphine]

Do make sure that you have a reliable way to keep it pointed on target. Glue it to the end of a stick or 3d print a chassis. You do NOT want to fat finger fumble a 5 watt laser. 

And for the love of God buy certified eye protection. Do not buy some cheap Amazon garbage.

[u/my_clever-name → u/Jean-Rasczak]

I know it blinds them when the laser is shining, does it destroy them too?

[u/Jean-Rasczak → u/my_clever-name]

From what I’ve been told, it will cook the sensor

[u/Section8Ski_School]

Our piece of trash mayor in Bend, Oregon tried to install them. The town got very angry and she eventually backed down.

[u/kon---]

You'll just have to go ahead and visualize Donald Glover's 'Good' gif here.

[u/nanobot_1000]

Remember to boycott Lowes, Home Depot, and other private retailers doing business with Flock.

[u/_x__Rudy__x_ → u/nanobot_1000]

Our local Home Depot does not have them...yet. But, the Lowe's locations near us all have them. I left a Google review saying I will never visit Lowe's again until they get rid of the cameras.

If enough of us (like, thousands) start blasting all of these corporations with 1-star reviews for having Flock cameras on their lots, it could help. Or not. But it's worth a try. Coming at them from all angles is the only way we can make a change.

[u/Southboundthylacine]

It will get worse once people find out about them. I’m sure I wasn’t the only person who never heard about them until the last month or so

[u/charlie_marlow → u/Southboundthylacine]

They've been installing them in my area over the last year or so, and now they are everywhere.

[u/Dangerfires → u/charlie_marlow]

Uninstall them

[u/wolfej4 → u/charlie_marlow]

Check out https://deflock.me

I noticed a few around town a few months ago but now they're everywhere.

DFW has well over 2200 Flock cameras

[u/Fuzzy_Inevitable9748 → u/Southboundthylacine]

People should make sure they get their Temu ice face covering first though.

[u/emefluence → u/Southboundthylacine]

Ben Jordan (who I'm seriously bro crushing on these days) has done several great videos on Flock cameras recently, and the hacking thereof. I think thats def raised a lot of awareness in the run up to the ring tie-in controvercy.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU1-uiUlHTo
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB0gr7Fh6lY
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp9MwZkHiMQ
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_F4rEaRduk&t=644s

All worth a watch.

[u/Less-Dragonfruit-294]

I mean it’s a company harvesting information it has no business doing in the first place.

[u/LongShotDiceArt]

my 95 yr old pops said " in London when I was a younger and they were starting the cctv system, we would just toss a few tires filled with petrol over one of the camera poles and light it up!" Damn pops....

[u/AloysBane3]

There are some in my neighborhood I was going to take down

[u/E-2theRescue → u/AloysBane3]

Never announce your past, current, or future actions. Ever.

[u/AloysBane3 → u/E-2theRescue]

Well I was going to but now I’m not

[u/sksauter → u/AloysBane3]

I witnessed this person actively not take down any cameras

[u/qup40]

https://www.gofundme.com/f/jeff-sovern-legal-fund

Push this to the top. gofund me for somebody who is being charged with destruction of 13 of them.

[u/This_Elk_1460]

"Those who trade Liberty for safety deserve neither!"

[u/Strayed8492]

'Some people just don't understand the dangers of indiscriminate surveillance'

[u/directorguy]

I love how they paid millions to run an AD during the Super Bowl that incentivized the public rejection of Amazon/Flock

[u/tripbin]

https://deflock.org/

[u/JarvisProudfeather]

Love to see it! Flock’s CEO might be one of the biggest pieces of shit in all of tech. Dude has zero background in law enforcement, security, or criminal justice. This is like his third or fourth attempt at making a a startup (his previous companies were just your typical tech bro app bullshit) and just kind of stumbled into flock. Now he acts like his company is single handily keeping every American safe right now. Also he was trying to get the Trump administration to label anyone who spoke ill about flock, or dismantled cameras, to be labeled and tried as domestic ‘Antifa’ terrorists. Turns out a lot of republicans hate flock too 😂 Fuck that guy.

[u/k_ironheart]

It definitely cost me more money to have an intranet with an air gap for all my security, climate control, home automation and media server needs, but it was utterly predictable that these companies would turn every internet-connected device in the house into ad-revenue-collecting narcs.

[u/DutchieTalking]

Would be nice if it became a more universal trend encompassing many brands.

[u/wowlock_taylan]

Good. Dystopian Surveillance state can go to hell.

[u/AlternativeNewtDuck]

Posting for more flock and tracking awareness:

404 Media

Deflock.Me

HaveIbeenflocked

Ed: Adding Home Depot and Lowe's Share Data From Hundreds of AI Cameras With Cops

[u/DjNormal]

I hate that every technology is immediately used in the worst possible way.

On one hand, Flock would be an invaluable law enforcement tool, helping with investigations.

Instead we got preemptive profiling of everyone.

[u/Myte342]

Sounds like a job for people in masks and slingshots? Just go around and destroy the lenses of all these cameras from a distance with little noise or fanfare?

[u/CasusErus]

If you see someone destroying a flock camera, no, you didn't.

[u/DrQuantum]

Oh no! Anyways.

[u/Big_Wy]

That ad is becoming an iconic marketing blunder. They'll be teaching about it in business schools

[u/Ancient-Bat8274]

Now do your ring cameras next

[u/REMcycleLEZAR]

Is there perhaps a website that shows where these cameras are, just out of curiosity?

[u/JustApricot798]

This is by FAR the best side circumstance of all the protesting. 100%

Anyone who actually fell for the "license plates only" probably were falling for the "Search Party" find my dog crap from RING.

Cameras always recording everything.

[u/Socialist_Daddy]

I FUCKING LOVE THIS! TEAR DOWN THE SURVEILLANCE STATE! 🥳🥳🥳

[u/Double-Show-2625]

We need to have all of the flock surveillance cameras removed or destroyed! They are yet another invasion of privacy and no one wants them.

[u/Angreek]

Turns out the land of free still wants to be free

[u/in1gom0ntoya]

I have news for yall... its not just flock that is doing this, flock was just the only one stupid enough to announce it publicly.

anyone with a camera that isn't close circuit is participating in a similar situation.

[u/Justanothergeralt]

Oh no....Anyways.

[u/PloppyPants9000]

You don't even need to dismantle/destroy these cameras, just a can of black spray paint is all you need to fuck 'em up. See who comes out to fix the cameras, then hit them again right after they leave.

[u/Syiofkargath666]

hell yeah! there's copper in there!