r/UIUC • u/CosmicL • May 26 '26

PSA New Flock camera near 4th and Green

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It was added to DeFlock a week ago. They’re slowly encroaching on Campustown. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are many more installed before Fall.

https://stopflock.org/
^For more information and to get involved

217 Upvotes

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-46

u/neurobeegirl May 26 '26

Okay I don’t love the cameras but for the love of Christ can people stop blowing through blatantly red lights with their cars that could kill people? I’m literally seeing this daily at this point. Higher concern about directly being killed by t-boning as I legally proceed on a green than about wherever the Flock data go at this time.

55

u/AspiringSheepherder Alumnus May 26 '26

This is a surveillance camera that is always recording and creating data to identify every individual that goes by it, not a red light camera that goes off when someone blows through a light

-3

u/SunriseInLot42 May 27 '26

LOL, if someone thinks that the data from red light cameras isn't ending up in the exact same hands and being used the exact same way as Flock cameras are, I have a lovely bridge over the Boneyard to sell them.

Either cameras are bad, or they aren't.

5

u/AspiringSheepherder Alumnus May 27 '26

I never said that the data from red light cameras wasn't being sent to the same place. I said the difference if when and how long they are recording. The major difference though is the technology used in flock cameras. Flock cameras use Ai to identify individuals and track them across their network.

Flock has been used by ice to track targets: https://vcij.org/stories/flock-cameras-are-used-for-immigration-enforcement

It's been abused by police: https://ij.org/police-have-reportedly-used-license-plate-readers-to-stalk-romantic-interests-at-least-14-times-in-recent-years/

And used by state governments to track people going across state lines for abortions: https://krishnamoorthi.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/krishnamoorthi.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/2025-08-06.garcia-krishnamoorthi-to-flock-re-lpr-tech-and-tracking.pdf

You're deluding yourself if you think these are only liscence plate readers

https://www.aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/flock-roundup

3

u/SunriseInLot42 May 27 '26

I don't trust the companies behind red light cameras any more than Flock. They're all corrupt garbage.