zlacker

[return to "Facial recognition vans to be rolled out across police forces in England"]
1. Shank+Bj[view] [source] 2025-08-13 13:23:41
>>amarch+(OP)
The UK is quickly deploying surveillance state technology that people once decried China for. Whether or not this is ethical or useful, I wish the hypocrisy would be acknowledged. The OSA, the Apple encryption demands, LFR, …, it’s clearly a trend. Has society really become this dangerous that we must deploy these things?
◧◩
2. fennec+Du[view] [source] 2025-08-13 14:20:51
>>Shank+Bj
Suppose it depends on what it's used for. We could trust the government to be good, but governments are made from people, elected by people. And people are often shitbags to each other.

For all the CCTV in London I've been mugged twice and nothing was captured on CCTV nor were the police all that interested in doing anything about it. As an outsider living here I think the UK has huge social problems that are neglected in favour of retaining classism. America has the same problems but at least it's more "ah, what can ya do about it huh" rather than "we are a perfect polite society British values bla bla".

◧◩◪
3. Xelbai+eQ[view] [source] 2025-08-13 15:57:00
>>fennec+Du
> We could trust the government to be good

no. you cannot. ever.

even if you have perfect faith in current government, you're one election away from something different.

CCTV is also extremely ineffective in crime prevention in general, and actually catching criminals - one of few studies(back when i did write my thesis on subject related to it) used different areas of UK to measure crime fighting capability and effect of CCTV - by finding similar areas with and without CCTV and comparing crime statistics.

they only worked on parking lots, there was no measurable differences in plazas, alleys, roads, highstreets etc.

and a bit of anecdotal evidence - once cameras at my older workplace caught robbery to a place next door. With criminal looking directly at the camera, before bashing the window with a brick, jumping in, and hopping out with accomplice. They never got caught. This was quite decent camera, with face clearly visible - i know this because we directly cooperated with police.

◧◩◪◨
4. potato+YS[view] [source] 2025-08-13 16:10:18
>>Xelbai+eQ
Even if you have a "good" government that goodness will make it a target for those who seek to co-opt it as a means to their desired end, and their desired ends are never good because if they were they would pursue cheaper less circuitous paths to them.
[go to top]