https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSC4qCwmce0

Steve Lehto video highlighting the problem of comprehensive surveillance
in public and bad information in database. AI flies a small plane,
choosing the route based on a digitized contour map in which a mountain
is mischaracterized... What could go wrong?

In the Colorado vehicle registration database, both "O" and "0" are used
on license plates.

A man was repeatedly pulled over by police in one jurisdiction based on
alerts from Flock, which attempts to perform a hit on every single
license plate it sees. The alert was an arrest warrant for a missed
court appearance in another county. The man in question is not the
subject of the arrest warrant.

The man subject to the warrant was first arrested by state police. When
he missed his court date, the sheriff input the license two ways, using
both "O" and "0".

Lehto said this implies that Flock cameras have difficulty making the distinction.

The man called called the sheriff but couldn't get him to remove the
plate. He said he needed to know the other man's name, which of course
he didn't know. Then the sheriff blamed state police because it was a
state case, but state police explained that the court gives instruction
to the sheriff when the warrant is issued, not state police. Clearly the sheriff is lying.

This guy is totally fucked.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.14
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

In <10uvsn6$rsdk$2@dont-email.me> "Adam H. Kerman" <ahk@chinet.com> writes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSC4qCwmce0

[snip]

In the Colorado vehicle registration database, both "O" and "0" are used
on license plates.

A man was repeatedly pulled over by police in one jurisdiction based on >alerts from Flock, which attempts to perform a hit on every single
license plate it sees. The alert was an arrest warrant for a missed
court appearance in another county. The man in question is not the
subject of the arrest warrant.

The man subject to the warrant was first arrested by state police. When
he missed his court date, the sheriff input the license two ways, using
both "O" and "0".

The man called called the sheriff but couldn't get him to remove the
plate. He said he needed to know the other man's name, which of course
he didn't know. Then the sheriff blamed state police because it was a
state case, but state police explained that the court gives instruction
to the sheriff when the warrant is issued, not state police. Clearly the >sheriff is lying.

This guy is totally fucked.

While Flock and this whole concept is James Bond
villain level EVIL, the simple solution to this
(as opposed to the "right" solution) is to get
a new plate.


--
_____________________________________________________
Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
dannyb@panix.com
[to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.14
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

danny burstein <dannyb@panix.com> wrote:

Adam H. Kerman <ahk@chinet.com> writes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSC4qCwmce0

[snip]

In the Colorado vehicle registration database, both "O" and "0" are used
on license plates.

A man was repeatedly pulled over by police in one jurisdiction based on >>alerts from Flock, which attempts to perform a hit on every single
license plate it sees. The alert was an arrest warrant for a missed
court appearance in another county. The man in question is not the
subject of the arrest warrant.

The man subject to the warrant was first arrested by state police. When
he missed his court date, the sheriff input the license two ways, using >>both "O" and "0".

The man called called the sheriff but couldn't get him to remove the
plate. He said he needed to know the other man's name, which of course
he didn't know. Then the sheriff blamed state police because it was a
state case, but state police explained that the court gives instruction
to the sheriff when the warrant is issued, not state police. Clearly the >>sheriff is lying.

This guy is totally fucked.

While Flock and this whole concept is James Bond
villain level EVIL, the simple solution to this
(as opposed to the "right" solution) is to get
a new plate.

Someone suggested getting a plate with a new number with every annual
vehicle registration, to disrupt long-term data collection of vehicle
movements in commercial databases.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.14
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Adam H. Kerman <ahk@chinet.com> wrote:

danny burstein <dannyb@panix.com> wrote:

Adam H. Kerman <ahk@chinet.com> writes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSC4qCwmce0

[snip]

In the Colorado vehicle registration database, both "O" and "0" are used >>> on license plates.

A man was repeatedly pulled over by police in one jurisdiction based on
alerts from Flock, which attempts to perform a hit on every single
license plate it sees. The alert was an arrest warrant for a missed
court appearance in another county. The man in question is not the
subject of the arrest warrant.

The man subject to the warrant was first arrested by state police. When
he missed his court date, the sheriff input the license two ways, using
both "O" and "0".

The man called called the sheriff but couldn't get him to remove the
plate. He said he needed to know the other man's name, which of course
he didn't know. Then the sheriff blamed state police because it was a
state case, but state police explained that the court gives instruction
to the sheriff when the warrant is issued, not state police. Clearly the >>> sheriff is lying.

This guy is totally fucked.

While Flock and this whole concept is James Bond
villain level EVIL, the simple solution to this
(as opposed to the "right" solution) is to get
a new plate.

Someone suggested getting a plate with a new number with every annual
vehicle registration, to disrupt long-term data collection of vehicle movements in commercial databases.

Never going to happen. Too expensive for regular plates, too much revenue
lost on personalized plates. I am amazed anybody still uses both zero and
O.

--
The last thing I want to do is hurt you, but it is still on my list.

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.15
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On Sun, 24 May 2026 22:50:52 -0000 (UTC), danny burstein
<dannyb@panix.com> wrote:

While Flock and this whole concept is James Bond
villain level EVIL, the simple solution to this
(as opposed to the "right" solution) is to get
a new plate.

That happened in BC where a person's vanity plate was issued then 2 or
3 years later was deemed offensive and they required him to get a new
plate BUT comped him the cost of a new vanity plate.

Wish I could remember the plate but it was the guy's surname. "Fokker"
or something like that. (Which you'll recall was the name of a well
known German producer of fighter aircraft in both world wars)

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.15
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

On May 31, 2026 at 11:57:44 AM PDT, "The Horny Goat" <lcraver@home.ca> wrote:

On Sun, 24 May 2026 22:50:52 -0000 (UTC), danny burstein
<dannyb@panix.com> wrote:

While Flock and this whole concept is James Bond
villain level EVIL, the simple solution to this
(as opposed to the "right" solution) is to get
a new plate.

That happened in BC where a person's vanity plate was issued then 2 or
3 years later was deemed offensive and they required him to get a new
plate BUT comped him the cost of a new vanity plate.

Wish I could remember the plate but it was the guy's surname. "Fokker"
or something like that. (Which you'll recall was the name of a well
known German producer of fighter aircraft in both world wars)

Rhino says it was ASIMIL8, as in "assimilate", which the owner got as
reference to the Borg on STAR TREK, who show up in their giant cube and announce, "We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. We will assimilate your biological and technological distinctiveness into our
own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile."

But some random Karen on the road saw it and thought it was a racist reference to forcing the Indians in Canadia to assimilate into white culture and complained to the Canadidian version of the DMV, who revoked his tag for being racially offensive. They told him it didn't matter that the reference was to something wholly innocent, if it offends someone, it has to be revoked.



--- PyGate Linux v1.5.15
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

In <10vi3lr$1o5oc$6@dont-email.me> BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com> writes:

[snip]

But some random Karen on the road saw it and thought it was a racist reference >to forcing the Indians in Canadia to assimilate into white culture and >complained to the Canadidian version of the DMV, who revoked his tag for being >racially offensive. They told him it didn't matter that the reference was to >something wholly innocent, if it offends someone, it has to be revoked.

Wait a second. You called them "Indians". Someone will
be at your door in 3, 2, 1...


--
_____________________________________________________
Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
dannyb@panix.com
[to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.15
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)