this post was submitted on 14 Aug 2026
372 points (99.2% liked)

deflock.me

512 readers
451 users here now

Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) are AI-powered cameras that capture and analyze images of all passing vehicles, storing details like your car’s location, date, and time. They also capture your car’s make, model, color, and identifying features such as dents, roof racks, and bumper stickers, often turning these into searchable data points. These cameras collect data on millions of vehicles—regardless of whether the driver is suspected of a crime. While these systems can be useful for tracking stolen cars or wanted individuals, they are mostly used to track the movements of innocent people.

Learn more at deflock.me

founded 10 months ago
MODERATORS
 
top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz 110 points 1 week ago (2 children)

How could the cameras ID them? I thought they only read license plates? /s

[–] X@piefed.world 35 points 1 week ago

🫪 ah fuck they got us run

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 72 points 1 week ago (4 children)

That fucking spray foam shit is impossible to get off.

[–] SatansMaggotyCumFart@piefed.world 15 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Lots of tongue and a tiny bit of teeth and you’ll be getting them off all day.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (2 replies)
[–] floofloof@lemmy.ca 56 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

We should be careful about spreading this news around. It might trigger a wave of copycat attacks and significantly impair Flock's ability to go about their business of spying on everyone. And the more this happens the less likely they are to win new contracts, so their whole business could end up in serious trouble.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] turdburglar@piefed.social 54 points 1 week ago (1 children)

naw, they didn’t do it. they were with me eating ice cream.

[–] X@piefed.world 15 points 1 week ago (2 children)

can confirm, it was the squirrels in the area, those lil fuckers are smart af

[–] hemmes@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Everyone knows squirrels run the world, don’t fuck with squirrels

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] DarrinBrunner@lemmy.world 46 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Be careful with the type that is meant to insulate walls, they spray a lot farther, and make a real mess. Be sure to wear PPE if you use this type. A full face mask is recommended.

[–] xav@programming.dev 21 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I'd say a full face mask is always recommended for this type of ... civic work.

[–] DaddleDew@lemmy.world 29 points 1 week ago (7 children)

Hear me out: Paintball projectiles containing expanding foam. Someone figure this out.

[–] Fizz@lemmy.nz 17 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Get the antifa r&d division on this asap

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (6 replies)
[–] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 29 points 1 week ago (3 children)

That's easy to remove. It would be really sad if someone slapped some etching cream on the lense though. That's a non-removable, chemically permanent change to the glass.

[–] SpacePanda@mander.xyz 29 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Causes severe burns that may not be immediately visible or painful

Is scary as hell to me

[–] Steve@startrek.website 12 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Hydroflouric acid dont get it on you

[–] otacon239@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Our chemistry teacher warned us about this stuff. She told us that if you get it in you, don’t hesitate to call out immediately because you will not feel anything and think you’re okay until it’s too late and under your skin. And then it burns. So, so much worse than if you had washed it off right away.

[–] mnemonicmonkeys@sh.itjust.works 12 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Plus it'll dissolve your bones faster than your flesh

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] sartalon@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago

I used this in 8th grade to etch glass for art class.

It's not as bad as all that. Just wear gloves and if you get some on you, just rinse it off.

It won't start dissolving your flesh or anything and needs time to even etch the glass.

load more comments (1 replies)

Time and resources wasted ain't nothing and you can spray the foam from a bit of a distance.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Janx@piefed.social 26 points 1 week ago

Whoever they allegedly are, I saw them elsewhere at the time of the incident.

[–] aldhissla@piefed.world 20 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Nah, those cameras come with foam on the lens. Nothing to see here.

[–] HugeNerd@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 week ago

I see what you did there. Mostly because I don't have foam on my glasses.

[–] isleepinahammock@lemmy.blahaj.zone 18 points 1 week ago (1 children)

What type of foam? Looks like Great Stuff. It's great stuff.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] boobookittyfrick@lemmy.zip 17 points 1 week ago
[–] TwodogsFighting 16 points 1 week ago

That damn Netanyahu if at it again!

[–] MoonRaven@feddit.nl 15 points 1 week ago (1 children)

They were staying in my house in the Netherlands when this happened.

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] iceonfire1@lemmy.world 15 points 1 week ago

O yeah, I actually saw some ICE agents nearby when it happened. How many would you say it would have taken to do this?

[–] Chivera@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago

Just boys being boys

[–] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago (1 children)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Itdidnttrickledown@lemmy.world 14 points 1 week ago

They were dressed in navy blue with badges, guns and cuffs. The call was coming from inside the dystopia.

It seems like these flock camera things are too expensive to maintain.

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 12 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

Not that I imagine anyone is really inclined to help the police with their inquiries but given the fact that the police don't have any information I'm not sure how the public are going to help.

Here's a crime scene there are no apparent witnesses and no fingerprint evidence, please help.

What exactly did they expect to happen here? Even if somebody did come forward and point the finger of blame st someone, there's no actual evidence you could go to court with.

[–] Kushan@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Since when did the US police need actual evidence to harass people?

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 11 points 1 week ago

you can help us by giving us all the location of the flock and axon cameras.

[–] mastod0n@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Nah, we had a movie night when this happened.

We were all there

[–] 6stringringer@lemmy.zip 9 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I know exactly who did that. I just can’t remember their names, genders or anything else important that may be helpful in getting to the bottom of this malarkey.

Sooooo, reckon there’s that.

[–] SacralPlexus@lemmy.world 6 points 1 week ago (2 children)

It’s ok another commenter positively identified the perp as Benjamin Netanyahu so hopefully the authorities can arrest him.

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] wieson@feddit.org 8 points 1 week ago

There are about 200 species of wasps. You've heard of paper wasps, this must've been foam wasps.

[–] Zuberiii@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Too many people are going to "sneak up" on a flock camera just to have it ID their phone

load more comments (2 replies)
[–] peetabix@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 week ago

Whoever it was, they were playing boardgames with me that day.

[–] melsaskca@lemmy.ca 6 points 1 week ago

So what have we learned in this "all surveillance, all the time!" world? You sneak up on things from behind. That sticky, hard to remove, expanding foam is not that expensive and is available everywhere now that winter is on it's way.

[–] sam_the_tech@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago (5 children)

I may be paranoid, but I’m starting to think this is some sort of test...why wouldn’t they just install 360° cameras. Like with Skydio lobbying the US government to ban DJI drones. It feels like they want us to take these cameras down. Is flock the only camera system in the US? Why are we so focused on flock cameras? Anyway, I’m off to the hardware store to pick up some expanding foam for a DIY home project in my garage.

[–] scutiger@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

There are other cameras. Axon is another company that sells them, but their system only runs regionally, not nationally, which is why Flock was chosen in the first place. A bunch of towns are removing Flock cameras and replacing them with Axon, and a lot of people haven't heard of Axon so it goes unnoticed.

[–] halcyoncmdr@piefed.social 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I don't understand how people haven't heard of Axon. They make Taser, it is literally their brand name for the device. They also make the vast majority of police body cams, and related systems for things like vehicles now.

They're mentioned in the news basically every time something happens with their shit.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (4 replies)
load more comments
view more: next ›