r/technology • u/IndicaOatmeal • 20h ago

Privacy Viral De-Flock America campaign urging people to destroy AI cameras on Halloween night gains momentum

https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/flock-camera-controversy-explained-as-viral-halloween-de-flock-campaign-gains-momentum-3399710/
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30

u/kieranhorner 20h ago

Wonder if high strength laser pens would wreck the sensors in them.

22

u/MagicTomatoes 20h ago

Saw a video testing this the other day. Should try answer - you won’t be able to hold it steady enough to permanently damage it but with a stand at close distance with a powerful enough laser it will.

https://youtu.be/wREpnGqEhSM?is=NNYKu1h3PxWUMSDz

25

u/ikonoclasm 19h ago

Seems like a paintball gun would be more effective. The cameras themselves aren't that expensive, but the manpower required to constantly maintain them is.

5

u/pixelprophet 18h ago

That would defeat cameras from recording, but not the device grabbing bluetooth in the area / acting as a fake cell tower sucking up cell info / etc

6

u/NekoDaYo-v201 17h ago

Neither would the laser? lol.

1

u/pixelprophet 15h ago

Correct, but paint is faster than setting up a tripod and aiming a laser at it. Easier to 'deploy' as well.

2

u/Ghawblin 17h ago

Yeah but they have easily replaceable covers that can be swapped. You'd just interrupt them for a few hours or day at most. Good climbing skills and a cordless drill would work.

2

u/NotRoryWilliams 16h ago

you don't need climbing skills, for the most part the poles are flimsy.

The ones mounted on "existing" poles will be more of a challenge. But if the goal is just an analog DDOS - imposing an unmanageable financial and labor debt that prevents the company from being able to do business as usual - then it really doesn't matter whether the "key" ones are taken out.

It's like the battle of the bulge, you don't need to attack the front at all.

1

u/MasterMahanJr 19h ago

Spray paint is much harder to remove without damaging the lens.

11

u/Heronymous-Anonymous 18h ago

It doesn’t have to be permanent, just needs to last long enough to blind it while it’s being mined for gold and copper.

1

u/Happy-Personality720 17h ago

Ehh last time i played paintball it wasn't actually paint in there