this post was submitted on 21 Jun 2026
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Flock, the automatic license plate reader (ALPR) company, exposed some of the license plate cops were looking for and the reason for doing so.

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[–] mic_check_one_two@lemmy.dbzer0.com 76 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) (3 children)

They don’t just read license plates. They analyze faces/pets/distinctive clothing to ID people, scan nearby WiFi and Bluetooth signals to track devices, scan distinctive features of vehicles (dents, scratches, bumper stickers, etc) to track them even without a clear license plate, etc… Calling it a license plate reader vastly downplays their capabilities.

It’s like someone calling a fully automatic high-powered machine gun “a rabbit-hunting gun”. Sure it could be used to shoot rabbits, but that’s vastly understating the capabilities.

[–] Doublenut@lemmy.zip 19 points 13 hours ago (2 children)

Atlanta has them in the middle of parks too far from and facing away from parking lots to read any license plates.... they're there to use facial recognition on children playing on park equipment.

[–] ironycanal@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 13 hours ago

Oh wow.this is just blatantly anti-police. You think cops shouldn't get to masturbate, just because they're cops?

[–] cheesemoo@lemmy.world 6 points 13 hours ago

And they probably sold the people in charge on the idea that it's to "protect the children" 🤮

[–] tocopherol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 26 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

It's good to point this out, I don't drive but I forget they could probably track my bike still based on it's distinctiveness, calling them license plate readers really does obscure the insidiousness well. We've heard about automatic license plate readers for years, they weren't like this so it is really disingenuous to call them such.

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world 7 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

oh yeah. like, if the police in town have figured out who i am from my trike, there's no way the ALPR hasn't. that thing is fucking distinctive. and i wave hi to everyone (the ALPRs with one finger)

[–] IAmYouButYouDontKnowYet@reddthat.com 9 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

It used to be finger prints people needed to worry about. It so far beyond that now.

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

ground squirrels. we use the atf tag (it's not mine, i don't know what it's called) machine gun to hunt ground squirrels. i mean you have to kill them for environmental regulation and agricultural control anyways, might as well have some fun.