San Diego Resident in Darth Vader Costume Protests Surveillance Systems
A San Diego resident attended a city council meeting dressed as Darth Vader to protest the expansion of Flock's surveillance camera system, which collects personal data on citizens.
It turns out that even Sith Lords have a firm stance regarding privacy in the public sphere. A San Diego resident recently arrived at a city council meeting wearing a full Darth Vader costume. The goal: a creative protest against the surveillance camera system of the company Flock, which has already deployed 550 of its cameras throughout the city.
The unusual protest began after the San Diego Police Department decided to join Flock's Nova service, which significantly expands data collection capabilities in the city. The new service does not settle for just filming license plates, but combines the footage with personal details based on open-source intelligence and external databases. According to company officials, the system allows linking vehicles to individuals and exposing entire networks of connections, such as marital status or organizational affiliations.
At the council meeting, "Vader" explained that the Emperor is a big fan of the company:
"We must continue to harness the technologies of Flock so that we can track and spy on the rebel scum as they move from one playground to another, from the playground to the pool, and from the pool to the gym."
He added sarcastically:
"We all know that Flock cameras do not settle for reading license plates; they track children in parks and gyms, and we need this. I need this so that I can spy on my ex-spouse. How can the citizens trust this city council, when this city council continues to vote in favor of surveillance technology that imprisons them?"
Beyond the gimmick, the company Flock is at the heart of a stormy public debate in the United States. The advanced capabilities of the company's cameras are sparking growing criticism, especially in light of a case where a San Diego resident was arrested and imprisoned for a whole month following a false identification by the system.
To close the argument, "Vader" provided one last point regarding the necessity of Flock's surveillance technology:
"This technology will help us locate the rebel scum and their hidden base on Hoth. This technology will help us find Luke Skywalker as he crosses the universe in his X-wing starfighter. This technology is an essential force, essential like nothing else."
May the Force be with us.
