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I think the juxtaposition between this and Flock's (and other's) license-plate reader products is interesting. My gut reaction to a network of cameras that can
by abeppu 2y ago
I think the juxtaposition between this and Flock's (and other's) license-plate reader products is interesting.
My gut reaction to a network of cameras that can track people's movement whether or not there's any cause to believe they've done something wrong is ... that's creepy and we should put laws in place to stop it.
But with a microphone network that's looking for the actual evidence of the crime itself (noises from a sideshow), and isn't in general capturing identifying info, this seems much more reasonable, even if it is broad surveillance. But a key question is, if these mics are rolled out initially to listen for gunshots, and can be updated to listen for side-shows, then what else will they be used for in the future?
- gs17 2y agoShotSpotter's microphones have already been used to record conversations (they claim this is unintentional). To be fair to them, these cases were arguments that accompanied shootings, but it shows the potential for abuse. Amusingly/depressingly (from Wikipedia): > Remarking on these privacy concerns, in 2015 then-NYPD commissioner William Bratton said "the advocates have to get a life." Bratton had been on ShotSpotter's Board of Directors before then, and rejoined it in 2017.