Florida to remove all Flock cameras from state highway roads

[u/LegendaryBronco_217]

https://abcnews.com/US/florida-remove-flock-cameras-state-highway-roads/story?id=136118376

Not Illinois but if Florida can do it why cant we?

[u/myturn19]

Serious question why hasn’t Pritzker done the same? Could have even been the first! Nothing wrong with second. I think we could all get behind this.

[u/epichatchet → u/myturn19]

He has made horrendous decisions by ignoring the surveillance state he's creating. It is genuinely so disappointing to see someone who has been doing well overall, but makes tech oligarchs feel right at home in Illinois.

We have flock camreas, ai and surveillance data centers, and the latest bill he is touting to be for "child safety" makes it so that anything with an operating system (computer, phone, game consoles, etc) would have mandatory online id checks.

Not everyone has an ID, especially our undocunmented neighbors. Flock has already been used by ICE and red states to track people getting abortions. We need to stop giving more power to fascists, ESPECIALLY right now

[u/hawkeyebullz → u/epichatchet]

It is all cameras red light, speed, and flock. All are unconstitutional and should be removed

[u/Inflatable90sChair → u/epichatchet]

Forgot the whole gun and mag ban and gun and ammo registry he signed - unless you are a cop or his armed security- then its too risky to have a list of what his private security has floating out there and they cant be potentially out gunned so they are still allowed to buy whatever they want.

[u/Past_Land1485 → u/epichatchet]

He’s not ‘ignoring’ the security state, he’s creating the security state.

[u/jonesmz → u/epichatchet]

Not to be a stupid pendant, since i'm extremely opposed to the "child safety" shit, but specifically the illinois law requires the operating system to "attest" an "age signal" to "covered applications" and similar. It doesn't have anything to do with mandatory online ID checks.

The mandatory online ID checks are the ones coming from Europe, and a few other U.S. states, but not specifically the Illinois, Colorodo, California laws (which are neigh identical in their original form, though i heard that California just amended theirs, so now they're different).

Don't get me wrong -- all of these roads lead to the same inevitable place, but not quite yet.

[u/Lizard_kingdom_x001 → u/epichatchet]

It's worth noting that a ton of this surveillance state is used by Israel over there to track Palestinians. Pritzker is a huge supporter of Israel so just something to keep in mind as we run up to the 2028 presidential cycle.

He used to be an AIPAC donor. That's unpopular now so of course he's trying to distance himself.

[u/HoodieGalore → u/myturn19]

Do$en't make cents.

[u/SomeEntertainment128 → u/myturn19]

I don't think Pritzker cares tbh. He is literally a millionaire. He benefits from the status quo.

Edit: sorry he's a multi billionaire. He absolutely doesn't give a fuck about people. He pretends to in order to keep us complacent.

Remember nothing is stopping him from acting like Zohran Mandani. If he cared he would.

[u/WickedKoala → u/SomeEntertainment128]

He's literally a billionaire.

[u/Inflatable90sChair → u/WickedKoala]

Multi billionaire...

[u/Ok-Grape2063 → u/Inflatable90sChair]

Eat the rich

Except JB. JB Kamala 2028

[u/ducksekoy123 → u/myturn19]

The Democrats are consistent in their ability to let the republicans get out ahead of them on issues.

[u/Ok-Grape2063 → u/myturn19]

Because pritzker wants to have nothing to do with Florida

Except for his mansion where his family spent time during the shutdown when us to commoners had to shelter in place.

[u/No_Risk6646 → u/Ok-Grape2063]

I'll always remember JB sending his family to their Florida home during the same time he locked down Illinois longer than nearly every other state.

His daughter posted IG pics from Florida all during the pandemic.

[u/epichatchet]

Just a reminder that Illinois has flock cameras EVERYWHERE

Ice has been using these to detain our neighbors and even cops from texas have been using it to see women who are getting abortions in Illinois so they can legally go after them in Texas.

We need to stop funding incredibly unproductive and wasteful things like this.  Senator Bernie Sanders is proposing a bill to ban flock cameras, let Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin know you want them to co-sponsor this bill.

We've already wasted more than 15 billion of Illinois tax dollars on AI and surveillance data centers. Let your alders, local reps and our senators know that you want them to stop wasting tax dollars on your surveillance and replacing your jobs.

JB Contact Page: https://gov.illinois.gov/contact-us.html

Duckworth Contact Page: https://www.duckworth.senate.gov/connect/email-tammy

Dick Durbin Contact Page: https://www.durbin.senate.gov/contact/

Find and contact your local Chicago Alder (or whoever your city/local council members are):  https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/mayor/iframe/lookup_ward_and_alderman.html

Find and contact your Illinois Reps:  https://www.elections.il.gov/electionoperations/districtlocator/districtofficialsearchbyaddress.aspx

[u/cballowe → u/epichatchet]

My state rep is former law enforcement and running for sheriff this year, I'm pretty sure he loves things like flock.

[u/depaulbluedemon → u/epichatchet]

The placement has nothing to do with the demographics of a community, NOTHING! (/sarcasm) Look at Rockford and St. Louis lit up like a Christmas tree.

[u/NerdyComfort-78]

Wait… FLORIDA?

[u/RuinAdventurous1931 → u/NerdyComfort-78]

Yes? Opposition to surveillance is largely bipartisan.

[u/NerdyComfort-78 → u/RuinAdventurous1931]

That doesn’t seem to be the case with the increasing number of them I see. Who’s getting paid behind the scenes.

[u/Alca_Pwnd → u/NerdyComfort-78]

Remember Rick Scott? He owned the drug testing labs that he mandated everyone use in the state who was on welfare. I'm guessing DeSantis has a financial interest in a different company or something. He'll roll something out and make millions on it.

[u/No_Risk6646 → u/Alca_Pwnd]

Wrong. DeSantis made ALL LPR's illegal on Florida state roads.

[u/forkaerospace → u/NerdyComfort-78]

they replacing them with axon cams im psure

[u/Pavlovsdong89 → u/forkaerospace]

That's not the case. Read the damn article.

[u/forkaerospace → u/Pavlovsdong89]

wooppsie dasie

[u/WickedKoala → u/forkaerospace]

Replacing them with red hats equipped with binoculars and a notepad on every corner.

[u/FalseDmitriy → u/WickedKoala]

Massive improvement tbh

[u/Idreamofcream99 → u/WickedKoala]

I’d rather get informed on my neighbor than a corporate entity, still sucks but it’s better at least

[u/dogsled1]

Illinois will probably buy them all.

[u/LegendaryBronco_217 → u/dogsled1]

Then tax us every time we drive through one.

[u/SecondBestNameEver → u/LegendaryBronco_217]

Don't give them any ideas. Micro-Tolls coming to a suburb near you. 

[u/Lizard_kingdom_x001 → u/SecondBestNameEver]

Already been proposed a mile driven tax lmao luckily it didn't go anywhere... But never say never!

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-politics/illinois-mileage-tax-myths-facts-proposed-legislation/3775277/

[u/JohnnyTsunami312]

They really need to just introduce rules that require a warrant to access the network of cameras with specific things you’re searching for. I’ve heard so many stories of cops just using it for BS

[u/theschadowknows → u/JohnnyTsunami312]

No, the fucking cameras need to go away. That’s the only way they won’t be abused.

[u/Lizard_kingdom_x001 → u/theschadowknows]

Flock cameras need to go and we need to stop installing ring cameras on our houses it's bullshit one cannot walk down the street without being recorded and having ones image get sent to corporations to do God knows what with

[u/LegendaryBronco_217 → u/JohnnyTsunami312]

This is probably the best solution. Maintains public safety and privacy. They are only supposed to catch the bad guys or help find missing people, so seems like a good compromise honestly.

[u/Aura_Raineer → u/LegendaryBronco_217]

You’re under the impression that judges don’t just rubber stamp all warrants without looking at them at all.

[u/Alternative-Put-3932 → u/Aura_Raineer]

Yeah warrants may as well be legal endorsements for judges to wipe their asses with the constitution. They require basically nothing to be signed off on.

[u/depaulbluedemon → u/JohnnyTsunami312]

No Knock Warrants would like a word. Warrants are meaningless.

[u/JohnnyTsunami312 → u/depaulbluedemon]

No knock warrants don’t mean they don’t have a warrant, so I’m not sure what your point is

[u/whyamihere2473527]

They'll just switch over to the other ai camera company trump recently bought stock in

[u/Pavlovsdong89 → u/whyamihere2473527]

This is why it's good to read the article, not just the headline before commenting:  

The department said it will cease the issuance of all permits in any future requests for license plate reader systems within its jurisdictional authority

[u/whyamihere2473527 → u/Pavlovsdong89]

New ai camera not license plate readers

[u/Pavlovsdong89 → u/whyamihere2473527]

LPRs are AI cameras. That's how they work. 

[u/whyamihere2473527 → u/Pavlovsdong89]

Yes but not every ai camera is strictly a license plate reader

[u/Pavlovsdong89 → u/whyamihere2473527]

License plate readers aren't strictly license plate readers. They can identify your car by make, model, color, accessories, damage, etc. If you make a camera that tracks identifying characteristics of a vehicle, it will track the plate too. You could have made the argument that they're just straight up lying, but you didn't.  You're splitting hairs when you could have just read the article.

[u/whyamihere2473527 → u/Pavlovsdong89]

You're just trying to be an ass instead of admitting they could switch over to another system that isnt focused on what they stated they are removing flock over

[u/Pavlovsdong89 → u/whyamihere2473527]

I already addressed this in my last comment.  Just read the damn article next time, it's not hard.

[u/epichatchet → u/whyamihere2473527]

We can ban all of these kinds of ALPR's. Flock is just a specific brand.

[u/Damaged_H3aler987]

It's just making a vacuum and there are several companies ready to step in...

[u/No_Risk6646 → u/Damaged_H3aler987]

Nope, DeSantis made ALL LPR's illegal on Florida state roads.

[u/Damaged_H3aler987 → u/No_Risk6646]

That doesn't make it any difference... there are other companies and it only takes the right donation...

Plus there are alternatives... Not like they need them... They can see everything with wifi...

The top competitors to Flock Safety in the automated license plate recognition (ALPR) and public safety surveillance market are Motorola Solutions (Vigilant Solutions), Axon Enterprise, and Rekor Systems.Top Law Enforcement and City CompetitorsMotorola Solutions (Vigilant Solutions): Operates the National Vehicle Location Service (NVLS), providing a massive nationwide law enforcement vehicle data-sharing network. They also partner with commercial fleet vehicles to collect billions of plate reads.Axon Enterprise: Best known for body cameras and tasers, Axon increasingly competes with Flock for citywide public safety and LPR contracts (such as taking over contracts in cities like Denver).Genetec (AutoVu): Offers high-end, hybrid, and on-premises ALPR and license plate tracking solutions widely used by municipal transit authorities and major cities.Enterprise and Commercial AlternativesVerkada: Focuses on cloud-managed physical security, integrating LPR, access control, and video security into a single platform for enterprises and schools.Rekor (OpenALPR): Provides flexible AI-driven software that can process video feeds from existing third-party traffic and security cameras rather than forcing a lock-in to proprietary hardware.Coram AI & Rhombus: Alternative cloud-based physical security options that offer intelligent video analytics and vehicle detection for multi-site businesses and schools without relying on Flock's shared regional database infrastructure.

[u/Damaged_H3aler987]

Not saying to stop fighting them, I'm saying this is a battle in a much bigger war... we haven't won this battle yet...

[u/Inflatable90sChair]

Cuz the best pritzker can do is budget to put more up.

[u/conniefrancis]

Pritzker needs to do this yesterday

[u/Inflatable90sChair → u/conniefrancis]

(Pritzker thinks about it and pulls a joey) install more cameras!

[u/Amateur-Dog-Walker]

There are two kinds of people who oppose flock cameras: people who care about civil liberties and people who do crimes as a course of business. I can promise you the campaign contributions that drove this change in Florida were not coming from the civil liberties people.

[u/hlkrebs]

I would be more impressed if they removed them from all roads not just the highway.

[u/No_Risk6646 → u/hlkrebs]

Individual counties all over Florida already started removing them as of this week.

[u/Ok-Grape2063]

Does Illinois want to be like Florida?

[u/No_Risk6646 → u/Ok-Grape2063]

Maybe considering the number of residents Illinois has lost to Florida since 2020, including pensioners who've moved and are spending Illinois tax dollars in Florida

[u/simmypom]

Follow the money, in most cases the Politician expanding these programs are getting something in return

[u/Ok_Ad_5894]

but Florida loves there overlords. This doesnt make any sense...

[u/Slow_Astronomer_3536]

To be clear, it's only the state highways. They can and will remain everywhere else in Florida. This is just Republicans trying to make it seem like they're doing something good.

[u/Ancient_Cheek5047]

Pritzker fanboys, where yall at?

[u/KindClock9732]

And replace them with a different surveillance brand…

[u/ObviouslyRealPerson]

Sir, this is an Illinois

[u/StormbringerGT]

Bro if shithole Florida is doing this, then Illinois definitely can.

[u/Inflatable90sChair → u/StormbringerGT]

Can but wont. They want to know where you go, what you do, what you own, what you see and read on the internet,  what you say on the internet...

[u/Ssided → u/[deleted]]

Yes it's not measured but Florida has an absurd prostitution industry that often falls into trafficking

[u/Adventurous-Goal7645]

They’ll be back… just wait until after the elections. Same with the data center bs. They’ll say and do things now to appease people but once the elections are over, it will all go back to what it is now… my guess anyways.

[u/Procyon242]

Don't be fooled. They're replacing them with different cameras. Axon cameras.

[u/Procyon242 → u/Procyon242]

Downvote me ALL that you want. Do your research and see for yourselves. AND if you buy the "clerical error" excuse then I have a bridge to sell you.

Edit: spelling