‘Darth Vader’ comes out in favor of Flock cameras at San Diego city council meeting
The Guardian • • nation
Key Points:
- A man dressed as Darth Vader humorously criticized San Diego officials for using Flock Safety’s automated license plate readers during a city council meeting, highlighting concerns about surveillance and privacy.
- The man mocked the technology by suggesting it could be used to track children and stalk individuals, referencing a recent incident where a Louisiana sheriff’s deputy was fired for misusing Flock’s system.
- Flock Safety, an Atlanta-based company, promotes its cameras as tools to assist law enforcement in tracking missing persons and recovering stolen vehicles, but the technology has faced increasing scrutiny.
- San Diego continues to use Flock’s system despite a wrongful arrest linked to the technology, and about 100 municipalities have discontinued contracts with Flock amid privacy concerns.
- Some critics have resorted to damaging Flock cameras, though legal actions against such acts have seen mixed outcomes, including a recent grand jury decision not to indict an Ohio man for vandalism.
