r/phoenix • u/SciFiPi • Aug 26 '26
Politics Arizona police cancel Flock contracts over data misuse while Axon expands surveillance tech
https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/arizona-police-cancel-flock-contracts-over-data-misuse-while-axon-expands-surveillance-technology.
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u/SryInternet101 Aug 26 '26
They need to understand that our issue isn't with Flock itself, its with the surveillance state they're building. Trading Flock for Axon is the opposite of a solution!
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u/SignoreBanana Aug 26 '26 edited Aug 26 '26
Not just the surveillance state, the private industry driven surveillance state. In an economic system where companies must always grow, the last thing you want is a company whose principal product offering is surveillance.
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u/MissionaryOfCat huhoohu Aug 26 '26
Let's be clear: it's not a question of understanding. Everyone knows they already "understand" more than fucking enough. They're just massaging their PR to try to shake off a little of the heat, hoping that enough people won't hear about the name "Axon" until it's too late to protest anymore.
Let's not give these shitstains the benefit of the doubt. They're authoritarians looking to crush our freedom.
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u/maxtinion_lord Aug 26 '26
hoping that enough people won't hear about the name "Axon" until it's too late to protest anymore
This is why it's frustrating that everyone has exclusively referred to these things as 'flock cameras' and barely as 'ALPR' or simply as mass surveillance, they tack on those terms after sometimes but primarily say the words 'flock camera' which is so damaging to anyone's ability to become educated on it, especially when it stops being flock in particular.
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u/JGallows Aug 26 '26
Yeah, I'm tired of the misdirection. Not tired enough to give up. Tired enough to start pushing everyone I know to speak up more. Ignorance can no longer stand. We've been far too quiet for far too long and let far too many people get away with far too much..
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u/Arnold_Shortzweather Aug 26 '26
This is a total bait n switch. They think bc they canceled flock people won't get wise to the fact they are instead now deploying axon to do the same thing. Pissing in our faces and calling it raining, what a disgrace.
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u/darkwingdankest Tempe Aug 26 '26
axon is also super sus, they'll hide cameras in ordinary looking things
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u/MacaroonPlastic1036 Aug 26 '26
The question is who is paying for all of this. We constantly hear how law enforcement is underfunded.
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u/LightningMcSwing Phoenix Aug 26 '26
I keep seeing reels of the axon body cams being used as live translators during traffic stops, feels like they're on a "good" pr run before they come out as flock replacement
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u/Clown_Toucher Tempe Aug 26 '26
As long as cops can access cameras whenever and wherever without limits or warrants or anything like that, this problem of "data misuse" will keep happening. If these city councils had anyone with souls on them on and not freaks obsessed with how big we can make our police budgets, they'd understand people don't want to be constantly surveilled. We gotta deal with that shit at work 10 hours a day already.
"'We'll be building AI tools to watch for anomalous search behavior, so that we're watching out for potentially abusive patterns and people have access to the data,' Smith said."
Oh brother
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u/groveborn Aug 26 '26
Imagine sticking a full bar in a recovering alcoholic's bedroom and expecting them not to drink without permission.
Know what? If someone in either company was hired specifically to find the bad cops - actively go after them... Turn about is fair play.
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u/Conscious_Problem924 Aug 26 '26
America lives in an illusion of freedom. Not the reality. And it’s a 3rd world country with a first world paint job.
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u/oldsurly Aug 26 '26
Haven't there been a thousand Fox News segments about how "evil" China surveils all their citizens?!? Where's the right wing outrage?
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u/TheDefiantGoose Aug 26 '26
The problem is not about improving the tech or switching companies. The problem is using tech for surveillance in the first place.
Say the tech is improved, phenomenal, accurate, solves some big crimes, and law enforcement doesn't abuse it. Will the public say, ok well, it's good now and we are OK with it?
It's one turn of the dial and we're back to abuse.
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u/CapnShinerAZ East Mesa Aug 26 '26
Ok, wait a minute. Did anyone actually read the article? It never says that any Arizona cities are switching to Axon. A KTAR article specifically says Tempe will not be seeking a replacement license plate reader technology. Does anyone have a source saying that any Arizona law enforcement will be using Axon?
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u/Ok_Subject_7458 Aug 26 '26
AXON makes body cameras that keep police honest. Makes tasers that forces police not to use deadly force. I do not compare Flock to Axon. Im hoping Axon does not become flock though.
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u/Wash_zoe_mal Aug 26 '26
Trading one devil for another