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> (Hollywood/any cop tv show would have you believing the opposite) Hollywood and cop TV would have you believe that "zoom, enhance" is a legitimate means of s

> (Hollywood/any cop tv show would have you believing the opposite) Hollywood and cop TV would have you believe that "zoom, enhance" is a legitimate means of surveillance. I suspect most educated Americans avoid framing their understanding of surveillance around CSI and SVU.

whimsicalism 2y ago
I disagree that Americans don't base their views on TV, fictional or otherwise. I wish I had your optimism.
SoftTalker 2y ago
On the other hand, the number of public cameras has exploded in the past decade. Even moderately small towns are likely to have Flock cameras on every major road in and out of town and at major intersections, allowing police to track who is coming and going. We had a bank robbery here recently and the getaway car was captured on the bank's outside cameras, and using Flock the police quickly localized where the car was to within a few square blocks. They found it within hours and arrested a suspect. In this case it was a good ending, but it's not hard to imagine how this could be misused, or mistakenly put an innocent bystander under suspicion. Combine this with most private businesses and many homes now having cameras watching activity on or about the property, and I'm not sure most people realize the extent to which they are surveilled in 2024.
- j16sdiz 2y ago
  This is a global trend. "Public camera" (as in state/city owned) is the least of my worries -- I know who I should sue when the data are leak. Many camera just put all footage on in some unsecured server in China or public S3 bucket .
  - fn-mote 2y ago
    > "Public camera" […] is the least of my worries Even here in HN there is a blithe dismissal of the import of constant surveillance. What happens when they come for you, though? You spoke out at a town hall meeting and now the mayor wants to run you out of town, or worse. > I know who I should sue when the data are leak. Sure, and from Equifax et al we know what you’ll get - a year of free credit monitoring. I would love examples showing that I should be less cynical.
    - janalsncm 2y ago
      > You spoke out at a town hall meeting and now the mayor wants to run you out of town, or worse. What you’re describing doesn’t sound like a technology problem. It sounds like a people problem or a political problem. Technology can’t solve that. It is functionally equivalent to a person telling the mayor what you said. Maybe a better example would be the facial recognition software quickly becoming ubiquitous https://www.npr.org/2023/01/21/1150289272/facial-recognition-technology-madison-square-garden-law-new-york https://www.npr.org/2023/01/21/1150289272/facial-recognition... I’m still in favor of it though. Safety is a high priority for me and the US is much more dangerous than I’d like. I’m much more worried about criminals than the government.
      - nkrisc 2y ago
        > It is functionally equivalent to a person telling the mayor what you said. I think the implication is that ubiquitous cameras and other surveillance technology would make it easier for the mayor to have you harassed until you leave town.
- tourmalinetaco 2y ago
  In an incredibly tiny city nearby they’ve had public CCTV for decades. They even broadcast them. Me and my siblings would watch for my grandma or parents to come back from shopping.
  - corranh 2y ago
    Medina? https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/cameras-keep-track-of-all-cars-entering-medina/ https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/cameras-keep-track...

whimsicalism 2y ago

I disagree that Americans don't base their views on TV, fictional or otherwise. I wish I had your optimism.

SoftTalker 2y ago

On the other hand, the number of public cameras has exploded in the past decade. Even moderately small towns are likely to have Flock cameras on every major road in and out of town and at major intersections, allowing police to track who is coming and going. We had a bank robbery here recently and the getaway car was captured on the bank's outside cameras, and using Flock the police quickly localized where the car was to within a few square blocks. They found it within hours and arrested a suspect. In this case it was a good ending, but it's not hard to imagine how this could be misused, or mistakenly put an innocent bystander under suspicion. Combine this with most private businesses and many homes now having cameras watching activity on or about the property, and I'm not sure most people realize the extent to which they are surveilled in 2024.

j16sdiz 2y ago
This is a global trend. "Public camera" (as in state/city owned) is the least of my worries -- I know who I should sue when the data are leak. Many camera just put all footage on in some unsecured server in China or public S3 bucket .
- fn-mote 2y ago
  > "Public camera" […] is the least of my worries Even here in HN there is a blithe dismissal of the import of constant surveillance. What happens when they come for you, though? You spoke out at a town hall meeting and now the mayor wants to run you out of town, or worse. > I know who I should sue when the data are leak. Sure, and from Equifax et al we know what you’ll get - a year of free credit monitoring. I would love examples showing that I should be less cynical.
  - janalsncm 2y ago
    > You spoke out at a town hall meeting and now the mayor wants to run you out of town, or worse. What you’re describing doesn’t sound like a technology problem. It sounds like a people problem or a political problem. Technology can’t solve that. It is functionally equivalent to a person telling the mayor what you said. Maybe a better example would be the facial recognition software quickly becoming ubiquitous https://www.npr.org/2023/01/21/1150289272/facial-recognition-technology-madison-square-garden-law-new-york https://www.npr.org/2023/01/21/1150289272/facial-recognition... I’m still in favor of it though. Safety is a high priority for me and the US is much more dangerous than I’d like. I’m much more worried about criminals than the government.
    - nkrisc 2y ago
      > It is functionally equivalent to a person telling the mayor what you said. I think the implication is that ubiquitous cameras and other surveillance technology would make it easier for the mayor to have you harassed until you leave town.
tourmalinetaco 2y ago
In an incredibly tiny city nearby they’ve had public CCTV for decades. They even broadcast them. Me and my siblings would watch for my grandma or parents to come back from shopping.
- corranh 2y ago
  Medina? https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/cameras-keep-track-of-all-cars-entering-medina/ https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/cameras-keep-track...