Flock Safety, the company that makes the automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras used by over 7,000 U.S. law enforcement agencies, is facing a public backlash against surveillance tech. Nearly half of Americans surveyed in an August poll said they opposed ALPRs. The opposition is part of a long-simmering mistrust of big tech and concerns over privacy and data security. Kara speaks with a panel of experts about how the backlash to Flock and street surveillance cameras squares with the boom in wearable tech and AI-powered smart devices. Plus, they discuss – and question – the usual framing of a trade-off between privacy and security. Jason Koebler is a co-founder of 404 Media. He and his colleagues have been reporting on Flock for the past few years. Dr. Safiya Umoja Noble is the David O. Sears Presidential Endowed Chair of Social Sciences and Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is the Director of the Center on Resilience & Digital Justice and is the recipient of a MacArthur “Genius Grant.” She’s also the author of Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism. Victoria Song is a senior reviewer for The Verge and author of the Optimizer newsletter. She specializes in emerging technologies in wearables, health and fitness and XR. Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.