this post was submitted on 13 Jul 2026
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Privacy

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[–] NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world 19 points 15 hours ago

If you see someone knock over a surveillance camera from our fascist government. No you didn't.

[–] ShaggySnacks@lemmy.myserv.one 9 points 15 hours ago

Who knew wind could be so powerful!

[–] jontree255@lemmy.world 26 points 18 hours ago (1 children)
[–] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 16 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

Change clothing. Use different devices to bring down the cameras. Winch, sawzall, whatever. Pawn shops and yard sales can have suitable tools. Don’t give them a well defined pattern.

[–] locahosr443@lemmy.world 12 points 18 hours ago (3 children)

Look like ulez cameras in the UK... Nothing to do with flock

[–] wewbull@feddit.uk 5 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Whilst the ULEZ and other low emission zones are a good thing (because of the air pollution benefits), the cameras that enforce them are a privacy nightmare.

[–] locahosr443@lemmy.world 7 points 12 hours ago

In the UK, everything is a privacy nightmare.

The only thing on our side is the sheer incompetence of the police.

[–] XLE@piefed.social 1 points 12 hours ago

This is informative and unfortunate - because anyone in the video is less likely to be prosecuted

[–] Flamekebab@piefed.social 2 points 15 hours ago

Yeah, this feels more like a right wing bro thing than anything to do with privacy 🤮

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 29 points 22 hours ago (3 children)

I would highly recommend not committing a felony on camera

Prison sucks

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 5 points 18 hours ago (3 children)

Why would destruction of property be a felony?

[–] turdburglar@piefed.social 2 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago) (1 children)

there is a fixed amount of monetary value over which destruction of property becomes a felony.

don’t ask me how i know it was $1500 in 2006 in a jurisdiction in a state i lived in.

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 1 points 1 hour ago

Where you live shouldn't matter. Because felonies are federal offenses

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 16 hours ago (2 children)

Because the US police and justice system exist to protect capital

[–] wewbull@feddit.uk 1 points 13 hours ago

You drive on the left in the US?

[–] quick_snail@feddit.nl 1 points 15 hours ago

And by capital, you mean slaves.

[–] MML@sh.itjust.works 2 points 16 hours ago

Because it harms your local elected official who got bribed to put them up back pocket

[–] Evotech@lemmy.world 14 points 22 hours ago (2 children)
[–] M137@lemmy.today 4 points 7 hours ago

How are you unable to understand the comment you replied to? They said nothing about not cutting down the cameras, they said it's a bad idea to film it. And no one needs to film it, all that does is collect possible evidence if they get caught.

There are so many comments in this thread that are so fucking weird, it's like you're all kids who have comprehension disabilities.

[–] psx_crab@lemmy.zip 5 points 19 hours ago (3 children)

Balloon filled with red paint and yeet it on the lense like they owe you money, it would be much more effective and quicker tbh.

[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 7 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

How is this "more effective"?

Really, painting the camera isn't enough, it could be cleaned and put back into service the same day. It should be smashed.

[–] melsaskca@lemmy.ca 4 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Labour is expensive though and AI ain't gonna do that shit. Cha-ching!

[–] Ghoelian@piefed.social 2 points 13 hours ago

These cameras do much more than just record video (if it's a flock anyway). They also track every RFID, WiFi, and Bluetooth device afaik

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[–] artyom@piefed.social 6 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

I hear you but also fuck these things to hell.

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 0 points 13 hours ago

Then show up to your local city council.

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip -2 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Showing up to city council is more effective

[–] artyom@piefed.social 4 points 10 hours ago

That's incredibly naive. We've seen politicians around the world doing shady shit to subvert public processes. Plus people are generally too stupid to understand why privacy matters.

https://www.denverpost.com/2025/10/22/denver-flock-contract-extension-council/

[–] Diplomjodler3@lemmy.world 3 points 15 hours ago

Very clearly force majeure.

[–] aeronmelon@lemmy.world 59 points 1 day ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

Thank you, Mr. Wind, for your service.

[–] Grass@sh.itjust.works 28 points 1 day ago (2 children)

From comment in the source they are not flock and at least officially intended for tracking who is going through the low pollution zones and which of them have vehicles that don't qualify to be there.

Some decades ago or so in bc/canada we had aircare and it went something along the lines of you brought your car in to be tested for emissions and cars that were too shit were just deemed not road worthy but some fuckass politicians managed to get rid of it easily with high support from drivers who hate any minor personal inconveniences. I'd happily go in for the testing if it was still a thing. Car manufacturers don't even have to try to make a safe product and every city just smells like car exhaust.

[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 9 points 17 hours ago

and at least officially intended for tracking

That's the lie they sell you. Doorbell cameras aren't officially intended for tracking people, either, but here we are.

[–] grue@lemmy.world 15 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (9 children)

From comment in the source they are not flock and at least officially intended for tracking who is going through the low pollution zones and which of them have vehicles that don't qualify to be there.

There's a much simpler and less intrusive way to accomplish that: just put up bollards to exclude all automobiles and only allow bicyclesa and pedestrians.

[–] theo@lemmy.world 4 points 15 hours ago

There are a lot of assumptions in this thread so I am going to make another one and assume that these are ULEZ cameras around London.

There was a controversial expansion of the low emissions zone to cover the whole metropolitan area a couple of years ago. After that, groups, mainly from the hard-right factions decided that they wanted to cut them down. This isn't a privacy move as they weren't targeting any of the many other existing cameras that are set up for things like vehicle tax and insurance, but more of a "I want to drive what I want no matter how polluting" type thing. There are also overlaps with the 15-minute city and anti-net-zero gang.

Although it sounds nice to have the whole city be demotorised, I don't think that is quite feasible yet. If you are wanting to be privacy-conscious, using a car is not the way forward.

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[–] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 23 points 1 day ago

Gotta watch out for those wind gusts

[–] homes@piefed.world 20 points 1 day ago
[–] BarnWolf@lemmy.world 14 points 1 day ago

Weather's been crazy lately!!

[–] TIEPilot@lemmy.world 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Looks like they aren't wearing gloves, not good idea.

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[–] zqwzzle@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 day ago (4 children)

With the amount of metadata embedded in videos this is perhaps not a wise idea to do.

[–] Warl0k3@lemmy.world 28 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

It's mindblowing how many people will just outright confess to crimes on social media. Basic opsec is to tell nobody. Not your friends, partner, mom, nobody. The thing people are juggling with flock cameras is balancing your own risk of getting caught vs. stoking public opinion in support of tearing these things down, which is tricky to get right. Bottom line with how psychotic this admin is though, if you're not confident you can post anonymously, probably better to not post at all.

You really should not do this though - at the very least turn your phone off, better would be to leave it at home. This admin is not above geofencing to investigate petty vandalism, and flock cameras are very rarely the only cameras in a given area (and they tattle, so if you do cut one down get out asap).

Also, apropos of nothing, make sure you're using the right type of blade for the material you're cutting. Aluminum can gum up some steel cutting tools (especially abrasive disks and portaband blades) surprisingly fast which is why aluminum specific versions are made. Oh and make sure your tools are properly insulated before cutting thru something you can't isolate, electrocution is even less fun than it looks.

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[–] undefined@lemmy.hogru.ch 9 points 1 day ago

Not sure why you’re downvoted. There are of course ways to strip metadata and post more carefully (hopefully anonymously) but I doubt people posting to corporate-owned social media are taking those steps either.

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