A stranger strapped a Flock-style camera to a light pole — and nobody asked who he was
DavidLinthicum · x · 2026-10-03
Tech writer David Linthicum discusses how the Flock license-plate surveillance controversy is spilling over: people are now strapping cameras that look like — or actually are — Flock cameras onto light poles, with local authorities having no idea who installed them or where the data goes.
- His core take: the technology isn't the problem, the people using it are — most Flock issues stem from misuse by local authorities, and that would continue with any replacement.
- He had predicted months earlier on a radio show that with an orange traffic vest and a magnet sign, anyone could mount these cameras on poles unchallenged — and that scenario is now playing out.
The episode highlights the accountability and privacy gaps in police-facing surveillance infrastructure.
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