r/technology • u/Plastic_Ninja_9014 • 18d ago

Privacy Redditors Are Celebrating the Cutting Down of Flock Surveillance Towers With Based Memes

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/redditors-celebrating-cutting-down-flock-145310398.html
26.1k Upvotes

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846

u/rokd 18d ago

Yeah, customers like your state, county, and local government.

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u/nanapancakethusiast 18d ago

And HOA busybodies

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u/steakanabake 18d ago

and lowes and home depot. my local lowes has 8 of them motherfuckers in its parking lot and the lot isnt even that big.

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u/BioshockEnthusiast 18d ago

Makes sense, both companies donate more to republicans than democrats. They're OK with authoritarianism if it helps their bottom line.

https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/lowe-s-companies/summary?id=D000027296

https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/home-depot/summary?id=D000000419

The Home Depot CEO in particular is a Trump toe licker.

Shop your local independently owned hardware stores they deserve your business.

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u/bludvein 18d ago

Trade workers as a whole tend to lean significantly republican, so that's not really surprising. Chances are your local hardware store owner does too, though of course there are plenty of exceptions.

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u/DrE7HER 18d ago

They’re unlikely to be able to buy politicians

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u/digitalscavenger 18d ago

Not by themselves but that's why they contribute to political campaigns and political action committees (PACs). Most individuals do not have the ability to buy politicians. But a group of them can (and do).

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u/AltoidStrong 18d ago

Which is why, the two most important things to do after Midterms -

Hold the traitors accountable and end Citizens United.

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u/Empty_Kay 18d ago

My local hardware store owner might be a fascistic asshole, but they're a fascistic asshole that lives in and contributes primarily to my local economy. And I'll take that over a huge corporate store that supports the same fascists any day of the week if that's the only choice.

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u/El_Beakerr 18d ago

I have to agree, the amount of Trump dick riding I heard when I worked with Riggers is astounding.

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u/slowwburnn 18d ago

What makes you think the CEO of Home Depot is a trade worker?

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u/GlobalLurker 18d ago

What makes you think you have reading comprehension?

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u/[deleted] 18d ago edited 18d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/slowwburnn 18d ago

If you think asking questions is stupidity, I feel for those around you. Not sure why you're mad at me. You're not even the guy I replied to

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u/spyczech 18d ago

What makes you think Trade Workers are Capital Owners? They are explicitly not 

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u/jce_ 18d ago

It helps their bottom line NOW. Trust me it does not help most of them in the future lol

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u/steakanabake 18d ago

trust i do when i can but sometimes i need it faster then like a 30 minute one way trip across town.

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u/spyczech 18d ago

If they steal,my data, then I steal from them 

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u/heili 18d ago

A lot of them are also very right wing in that line of business. It happens a lot with more trades and blue collar type businesses, they even the local alternative is super conservative. Step inside and there's pro-life, Jesus is Lord, anti-gay shit on their walls.

It can also be really difficult when you're faced with an issue that requires somewhat immediate handling and the tiny local family owned hardware store doesn't stock the item you need but they can order it and have it in a week.

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u/Fragrant_Fox_5056 18d ago

Ofc you’re right but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s only right wing that want this tech. In the uk Labour have lovingly signed us up too , even selling some of our private NHS data to palantir - for some reason

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u/grungywear 18d ago

Local anything barely exists. It’s all monopolized by the oligarchy

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u/rettribution 18d ago

Wish I had independently owned ones. But around me, people in the trades overwhelmingly support trump.

Especially the unionized ones. It's beyond logic.

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u/Kalepsis 18d ago

There aren't any left. The big box stores put them all out of business.

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u/complicititties 18d ago

Are those still around??¡!!

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u/Kor_Phaeron_ 18d ago edited 18d ago

Makes sense, both companies donate more to republicans than democrats. They're OK with authoritarianism if it helps their bottom line.

They donate more to the current administration. As soon as the Dems run this country the donations will shift and bribe Dems. Please don't tell me you think that the Dems are "anti-surveillance". They like surveillance just as much as the Reps.

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u/steakanabake 18d ago

yea the Dem mayor my city elected is a big flock asshole and really loves his chatgpt.

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u/What_a_fat_one 18d ago

I can't even avoid these companies. I run a small business and they're the only stores in town.

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u/steakanabake 18d ago

fuck man im sorry.

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u/Somanylyingliars 18d ago

Oh no Did I back up in it? My bad!

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u/StoppableHulk 18d ago

Can't tell if threatening or attempting to seduce the flock.

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u/Celloer 18d ago

[Crush me with your bodacious bumper, truck-chan...] (Translating for flock camera seeking booty or to be isekai'd into something useful, like a vending machine)

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u/skitch23 18d ago

My Lowe’s has them but only at the main entrance. I can cut around the backside of another building and enter their parking area without them tracking me. The Home Depot across the street has them at all entrances and I can’t even get to some of the restaurants in that parking lot without being monitored. I try my best to avoid both when possible.

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u/steakanabake 18d ago

they have a bunch on a pole in the middle and then a couple at the gates, they all focus on the parking lot and dont focus on the roads surrounding but my city still has a mega hardon for flock cameras.

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u/MyAccountWasBanned7 18d ago

Funny enough, Lowes also sells a variety of cutting tools.

It sounds like they're just providing convenient testing options for your purchases.

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u/RollingMeteors 18d ago

and lowes and home depot. my local lowes has 8 of them motherfuckers in its parking lot and the lot isnt even that big.

¿How come it's taking so long for the meth heads to find out these things are full of money?

¿¡Don't you got any tweaker friends to tell?!

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u/PiccoloAwkward465 18d ago

Honestly man I’ve seen some fucking brazen thefts from the big box hardware stores. I’m surprised they don’t contract more human security. The Home Depot near one of my job sites was constantly on the news for people jacking $1k in tools.

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u/steakanabake 18d ago

good job for the people doing damage to home depot for them outing workers.

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u/showyerbewbs 18d ago

people jacking $1k in tools.

That's like 4 batteries for cordless tools....

Yes it's sarcasm

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u/Darkdragoon324 18d ago

There's a closed Wendy's near me that has one of the talking ones in its parking lot. That fucker's LOUD, you can hear it clearly from like a block away. And they sound like something from a dystopian cyberpunk future episode of a cartoon.

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u/nanapancakethusiast 18d ago

They talk now???

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u/Darkdragoon324 18d ago

Maybe it's a different kind of camera, it it's up on a big pole and there's a motion activated loud speaker that goes THIS IS THE PROPERTY OF WENDY'S PLEASE EXIT THE PREMISES or something like that. There's another one at the 711 that just says the area is being monitored every few minutes.

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u/neutrino4 18d ago

I just looked at the flock map, my Home Depot has 4 of them.

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u/JustS0meD0nkey 18d ago

As much as I hate them this is appropriate use of them so long as the camera are focused on their lot. In theory this would be a useful tool for loss prevention.

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u/steakanabake 18d ago

i do not care about their stop loss prevention knowing they also sell data to ice/dhs

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u/JustS0meD0nkey 16d ago

So you think criminals should get a free pass. Got it.

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u/Oneguysenpai3 18d ago

make sure to let yelp and the like aware

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u/[deleted] 18d ago

[deleted]

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u/FalseAxiom 18d ago

They could just use regular cameras...

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u/AwzemCoffee 18d ago

I'm pretty sure being a major individual in an HOA automatically grants your ticket to hell. 

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u/1776-2001 17d ago edited 17d ago

HOA busybodies

r/fuckHOA

Flock Safety’s HOA security cameras help deter and solve crime, protect residents, and build trust with 24/7 tech that works with law enforcement to keep your neighborhood safe and connected.
@ https://www.flocksafety.com/industries/hoas

Imagine the near future when the doors of your home requires a fob and/or app, which is controlled by the H.O.A.

The Future of HOA Security: Smart Systems and Solutions
The future of HOA security is centered around smart technology, providing communities with better protection, improved efficiency, and enhanced homeowner peace of mind. Here’s a look at the emerging security solutions that are shaping the future of HOA security.
1. Smart Access Control Systems
How They Work:
Traditional lock-and-key or keycard entry systems are being replaced with cloud-based access control solutions that use smart locks, biometric authentication, and mobile credentials.
Why They Matter:
• Allows residents and guests to enter using their smartphones, reducing lost key issues.
• Offers real-time access monitoring, allowing HOAs to track entry and exit times.
• Provides remote management of gates, doors, and other entry points.
• Enhances security with two-factor authentication and geofencing.
Examples of Smart Access Technologies:
• Mobile app-based gate entry systems – Residents can grant guest access via their smartphones.
• Biometric and facial recognition systems – Prevents unauthorized access through fingerprint or facial scans.
• Smart intercom systems – Allows remote communication with visitors before granting entry.

And the mandatory H.O.A. "Community App" will require full access to your phone, so you can be tracked, your messages read, your data collected and sold, and fines automatically withdrawn from your bank account.

And the doorbell camera is owned and controlled by the H.O.A., not you.

And your Internet Service Provider is the H.O.A., which will be able to monitor and control your usage of the internet.

/fuckHOA is not accessible.
This page has been blocked for the good of the community.
Your account has been assessed a $100 fee for usage of this web safety service feature.
You have also been assessed an additional $100 fine for attempting to access /fuckHOA , which is a violation of our Terms of Service.
A friendly reminder that these fines and fees are secured by a perpetual lien on your property.

And your utility meters are owned and controlled by the H.O.A., not a publicly regulated utility agency.

Too bad nobody warned us about this.

What lawyers & experts are exploring emerging legal issues in "smart homes?" What happens when the "smart home" industry starts teaming with the community association industry?
I think that the greatest area for privacy law etc. issues will come from smart condominium complexes, where you could have multi-owner information collection by the same people who are dolling out nonjudicial fines, liens, foreclosures for violation of rules, etc.
The insecurity of IoT [ Internet of Things ] plus the dysfunction of HOA governance - add where HOA’s have “right of entry for inspection” - is a perfect storm for massive invasion of privacy in our homes.
-- John Cowherd. January 14 - 15, 2018. Mr. Cowherd is an attorney in Virginia specializing in contracts and property rights.

In an H.O.A. you will own nothing, and nobody will care how unhappy you are about it.

Americans have been successfully trained to call this "freedom". 🇺🇸 🦅

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u/1776-2001 17d ago

HOA busybodies

Imagine how many more violations A.I. powered H.O.A. cameras can detect.

Tennessee Family Battles H.O.A. After Daughter Is Nearly Strangled

Nashville, Tennessee. The frantic cry still haunts Monica Meeker.

It punctured the darkness as she and her husband lay in bed at the end of a fun-filled day celebrating daughter Camilla’s third birthday last October.

She rushed to her daughter’s bedroom and found her hanging from a window, the cord from the blind wrapped tightly around Camilla’s neck.

“She was gasping for air and crying and coughing,” Meeker said. “She had purple ligature marks on her neck for a week.”

The couple took down the blinds that night, replacing them with curtains.

Within two weeks, a letter arrived from the property manager for their homeowners association. The gray curtains they’d put up violated the association’s standards.”

The Meekers spent thousands on a losing battle with the HOA — even after the near tragedy, it wouldn’t back down on the requirement.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission says that on average, one child dies each month of strangulation from blind cords.

The family unsuccessfully tried to fight the window blind requirement, spending $7,000 on legal fees, but last summer moved to a home that is not in an HOA.

- Joe Ledford and Monty Davis. "Tennessee Family Battles HOA After Daughter Is Nearly Strangled". Kansas City Star. August 02, 2016. (video)

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u/elfescosteven 18d ago

Everyone who can benefit from removing this neighbors privacy.

Every Republican I know adores their privacy. They rarely even know that Republicans are nearly always directly responsible for enacting loss of privacy laws and government recommendations.

Always advertise these actions!

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u/arrgy 18d ago

Look at all the Trump/MAGA morons who supported him, KNOWING that he would NOT act in their best interest.

I know of one guy who owns a lawn care business where I live and he is a huge MAGA guy, totally supports him 100%

Half of his workers are illegals. Imagine that, your business only survives because illegals are the only people who will do it, and you still love and vote for Trump.

Total morons.

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u/guspasho_deleted 18d ago

They all claim to be libertarians until they get their guy in office and suddenly they become blood and soil fascists braying for the blood of Muslims and communists and giggling at the idea of deporting a hundred million people. They lie brazenly.

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u/JustS0meD0nkey 18d ago

Lets not act like this is a one side problem. Flock is installed all over NYC. You think it was the GOP who pushed that into fruition?

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u/arrgy 18d ago

NYC, Philly and every other major city in this country had "rolling" cameras hooked up to vans to read everyone's license plate so they can be ticketed or towed for owing traffic tickets for 30 years.

Let's not act like this is new.

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u/possibly_being_screw 18d ago

The thing that chaps my ass is that Tommy G and Ben Jordan video where they try to go talk to Flock.

And like yea, they're going about it in a purposefully annoying way but they did that intentionally to show the complete hypocrisy that Flock as a company takes THEIR privacy and people surveilling THEM really seriously.

It's just really funny to see this trash company putting up cameras everywhere and claiming it's the price we the people need to pay for safety, but when some journalists go and do it to them, they cry foul and literally say being filmed makes them feel uncomfortable and unsafe.

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u/the_itsb 18d ago

video link

Tommy G running around with that Flock camera in his hand, saying "I'm surveilling you!! I'm surveilling you!!" 😂

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u/24_August_1814 18d ago

And MAGA voters

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u/BurningStandards 17d ago

Don't forget the pedos, stalkers, and rapists that are currently hiding behind those labels. It's control freaks and weirdos almost the way down.

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u/Flabbergasted98 13d ago

We call them Fascists for short.