3 ms·

> On a related note, when I lived in FL, I often saw cars with this opaque plastic cover on number plates. I think these are installed by the drivers so that th

> On a related note, when I lived in FL, I often saw cars with this opaque plastic cover on number plates. I think these are installed by the drivers so that they can avoid paying road toll (FL has many road tolls). I also noticed that these drivers tend to be more aggressive in driving than others (that's how I noticed their license plates are covered). I've noticed the same thing in my area of CA. Lots of folks with different devices to obscure their plates, and a strong correlation between the obscured plates and very poor or aggressive driving. I've started to quip that the obscured plates + tinted windows + blacked-out taillights is the "frequent moving violation starter kit". Or "tell me you violate the rules of the road without telling me you violate the rules of the road". > Will the same punishment be applied to those drivers? One could imagine that's actually the targeted demographic, and not the subset of folks trying to circumvent Flock cameras.

OptionOfT 10mo ago
I see these plastic covers a lot. Especially here in AZ they get UV damaged fast which makes them opaque. And the more and more I want one. Not to drive like an ass. I don't. I just want to drive around without being tracked.
- try_the_bass 10mo ago
  > Not to drive like an ass. I don't. Color me skeptical
  - deleted 10mo ago
    [deleted]
  - OptionOfT 10mo ago
    This is the physical manifestation of "I've got nothing to hide, so you can track me".
    - try_the_bass 10mo ago
      I mean, is it a problem if that's what I believe? In practice I'm not even getting "tracked". No one is likely to be looking up my license plate and looking at my movements, because I don't do anything that would warrant that kind of attention. In the off chance someone is looking up that information, it's probably a mistake (i.e. mistaken identity), and seeing where I've been will likely clear that up. And in the infinitesimal chance it doesn't, I imagine motive would be really hard to establish. I'm not saying we shouldn't have proper oversight, strong data controls, etc, but I'm not opposed to this kind of tracking on principal alone. It does have real benefits! But personally, seeing and meeting the kinds of people who oppose this kind of tracking _on principal alone_, I'm immediately suspicious of all of them. But that's definitely bias on my part: I've known many folks in this category from the world of crypto, and 90+% of them are just trying to avoid taxes and/or scrutiny of accountability for whatever scam they're running.
      - LexiMax 10mo ago
        > No one is likely to be looking up my license plate and looking at my movements, because I don't do anything that would warrant that kind of attention. What makes you so incredibly sure that you will never in your lifetime do a single thing that would ever draw this kind of attention, no matter who is pulling the levers of power?
        try_the_bass 10mo ago
        I live in a country where such abuses are rare? They happen, sure, and are broadly covered when they do, but this distorts the perception of how often they happen, which is "not very often". I also don't commit crimes, so I really don't have much to worry about. This, coupled with the fact that I will leave the country if abuses start to become more common, gives me a lot of confidence that I indeed have nothing to worry about. And I like the decreases in crime that these kinds of technologies drive. The downside of them can be large, sure, but the downside risk is minimal. The upside is small to medium, but is real and demonstrable. To me, that makes it worth it, and I tire of folks who would prevent the upsides of various technologies, based on hypotheticals, vanishingly unlikely scenarios, and their own downside risks--which might, as it turns out, be large because they're the ones committing crimes?
- gosub100 10mo ago
  I think flock tracks more than just the number. A plate cover is another piece of entropy that can be used just like browser fingerprinting. The tinfoil hat side of me thinks the camera aspect is a red herring and they are actually using the tire pressure sensors and other junk to do the actual tracking.

OptionOfT 10mo ago

I see these plastic covers a lot. Especially here in AZ they get UV damaged fast which makes them opaque. And the more and more I want one. Not to drive like an ass. I don't. I just want to drive around without being tracked.

try_the_bass 10mo ago
> Not to drive like an ass. I don't. Color me skeptical
- deleted 10mo ago
  [deleted]
- OptionOfT 10mo ago
  This is the physical manifestation of "I've got nothing to hide, so you can track me".
  - try_the_bass 10mo ago
    I mean, is it a problem if that's what I believe? In practice I'm not even getting "tracked". No one is likely to be looking up my license plate and looking at my movements, because I don't do anything that would warrant that kind of attention. In the off chance someone is looking up that information, it's probably a mistake (i.e. mistaken identity), and seeing where I've been will likely clear that up. And in the infinitesimal chance it doesn't, I imagine motive would be really hard to establish. I'm not saying we shouldn't have proper oversight, strong data controls, etc, but I'm not opposed to this kind of tracking on principal alone. It does have real benefits! But personally, seeing and meeting the kinds of people who oppose this kind of tracking _on principal alone_, I'm immediately suspicious of all of them. But that's definitely bias on my part: I've known many folks in this category from the world of crypto, and 90+% of them are just trying to avoid taxes and/or scrutiny of accountability for whatever scam they're running.
    - LexiMax 10mo ago
      > No one is likely to be looking up my license plate and looking at my movements, because I don't do anything that would warrant that kind of attention. What makes you so incredibly sure that you will never in your lifetime do a single thing that would ever draw this kind of attention, no matter who is pulling the levers of power?
      - try_the_bass 10mo ago
        I live in a country where such abuses are rare? They happen, sure, and are broadly covered when they do, but this distorts the perception of how often they happen, which is "not very often". I also don't commit crimes, so I really don't have much to worry about. This, coupled with the fact that I will leave the country if abuses start to become more common, gives me a lot of confidence that I indeed have nothing to worry about. And I like the decreases in crime that these kinds of technologies drive. The downside of them can be large, sure, but the downside risk is minimal. The upside is small to medium, but is real and demonstrable. To me, that makes it worth it, and I tire of folks who would prevent the upsides of various technologies, based on hypotheticals, vanishingly unlikely scenarios, and their own downside risks--which might, as it turns out, be large because they're the ones committing crimes?
gosub100 10mo ago
I think flock tracks more than just the number. A plate cover is another piece of entropy that can be used just like browser fingerprinting. The tinfoil hat side of me thinks the camera aspect is a red herring and they are actually using the tire pressure sensors and other junk to do the actual tracking.