ANIMAL » Surveillance

Russia’s Flawed $1 Billion Election Fraud Surveillance Plan

Marina Galperina — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:45:08 +0000

Remember how Russia’s parliamentary election had so much obnoxious, YouTube-documented fraud, that thousands of angry Russians protested in the street? Don’t worry. The Kremlin has it on lock down, soon equipping 94,000 polling stations with no less than 300,000 web surveillance cameras. Pffffffft.

The story goes: $1,000,000,000 of the federal budget is allocated for the unprecedented project and private surveillance companies are in full production/shipping mode, cha-ching. Two cameras will be installed at each polling station, one aimed at a voting booth and one general view of the polling station, live-streaming to the internet. Only…

There’s more than one voting booth in there. Good luck installing internet in all of rural Russia. Oh, and it’s unclear who’s going to be monitoring all these feeds… which will probably crash the Russian internet altogether.

Also unclear: Why all this effort for an “absolutely transparent” presidential election? I thought presidential candidate Putin said those that called out his United Russia party for fraud were just Banderlogs?

NYPD’s Anti-Terror Surveillance System Great for Arresting Non-Terrorists

Bucky Turco — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:11:01 +0000

Not too long after the 9/11 attacks, when everyone was still scared shitless, the NYPD announced it would be installing a massive surveillance network dubbed the “Ring of Steel,” claiming that it would become an effective tool for combatting terrorism.

This is how they had to sell it in, knowing people would be more open to big brother’s prying eyes if it was done to keep us safe from the latest boogeyman.

However, numerous studies have shown, that security cameras do little to prevent a crime from taking place and mostly comes in handy after the fact. And that’s good enough for NYC’s top cop, Ray Kelly, who credited the $200 million system with helping cops arrest a whopping 100 people for low level crimes in the in the past eight months. That’s money well spent. Touting this success, the police commissioner said the city plans on installing another 1,200 or so cameras, which means the terrorists have not only won, but they’re also doing victory laps.

Politicos Propose Knee-Jerk Surveillance Bill In Name of Leiby Kletzky

Bucky Turco — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 20:45:48 +0000

There’s no denying that surveillance footage helped police crack the case of missing 8-year-old Brooklyn boy Leiby Kletzky, ultimately leading to the grisly discovery of his mutilated body and the arrest of the sicko-asshole that killed him.

However, evidence has shown that security cams aren’t a crime prevention tool and only come in handy after the fact. But that’s not stopping two politicians from claiming that it will and introducing a bill that would offer $500 tax credits to property people willing to install surveillance equipment on their property.

“This legislation could literally save lives,” said Assemblyman Dov Hikind. “If there had been even more cameras along the route that Leiby took when he got lost on his way home from day camp, perhaps we might have been able to find him sooner.”

Perhaps, but not likely. A human style LoJack system might provide full protection, but I don’t see anyone proposing we install microchips in children, like some pet owners do with their cats and dogs.

Senator Diane Savino also offered up some misleading assurances: “As we search for answers to this horrific tragedy, perhaps this bill will encourage property owners to have cameras that will assist the police and just maybe serve as a deterrent to the evil that sometimes lurks within our otherwise safe communities.”

The operative word here being “just maybe.”

DHS’s Beefy NYC Surveillance Cams

Bucky Turco — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 20:18:17 +0000

Just when it looked like only the city that was getting ripped off by whatever security company installed all those overly redundant surveillance cameras in subway stations for the MTA, buses now as well, the feds easily upped the ante with these hulking Department of Homeland Security boxes.

The prominently branded units that carry at least three globe cams and other doodads, line the blocks surrounding Federal Plaza in Lower Manhattan and even though they’re not likely to thwart any kind of terrorist attack, virtually ensure the media will get good footage should a catastrophic event unfold.

MTA Providing a False Sense of Security

Bucky Turco — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 15:46:55 +0000

Although the MTA has been planning on outfitting city buses with surveillance cameras for a while now, the cash strapped agency is using the recent, highly publicized beating of one of its drivers, to aggressively pursue that goal. This week, transit officials announced they’ll be installing the expensive devices in hundreds of buses to keep employees safer, which of course is bullshit.

As we’ve noted countless times before, these cams are about as effective at preventing violence as their stickers and automated announcements warning of stiff criminal penalties for those convicted of assaulting drivers.

Surveillance Cams Much Better at Catching Crimes Than Criminals

Bucky Turco — Tue, 31 May 2011 16:00:32 +0000

According to an amNY exclusive, surveillance cameras of one form or another have been very effective at capturing crimes in progress, boasting a 45% success rate for offenses committed in the first four months of 2011. However, the devil is in the details: “It’s unclear, though, how often the video leads to an arrest.”

But hey at least it’s great content for news outlets! Despite their inability to prevent crime, which is how these things are sold in, the City is still moving ahead with plans to use federal grants to install a “$201 million network of 3,000 public- and private-sector cameras in Lower Manhattan and midtown by 2013.” Well, that should certainly make everyone a lot safer than cumbersome old firehouses.

Surveillance Doc ‘Article 12′ Calls for Digital Habeas Corpus

Marina Galperina — Tue, 17 May 2011 15:00:19 +0000

Civilization. Metropolis. Internet? Screened over the weekend at the London International Documentary Festival, the new documentary film Article 12 highlights the downside of human society’s third big move – plugging into the web and surrendering our privacy. No backsies!

Featuring Noam Chomsky (of course), Brian Eno (oooh), pretty graphics and ugly facts, the doc centers in the twelfth article of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights that guarantees privacy and what that means in a world where our every purchase, public street activity or online word is monitored, tracked and logged forever.

According to filmmaker Juan Manuel Biaiñ whose IT background showed him the “vulnerabilities of the computer world and the scope for surveillance,” we’ve given up our privacy. As an Argentinian who has lived under “military prosecution” and systematic violations of privacy that lead to “large-scale erosion of personal liberties and ultimately, to mass victimisations, persecutions and death,” he predicts that isn’t going to end well. He demands Digital Habeas Corpus.

UK Marching Towards Orwellian Destiny

Bucky Turco — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 21:08:54 +0000

As if Britain isn’t jammed with enough CCTV cameras as it is, government officials conceded that in the not-so-distant future, they’ll be deploying an all encompassing surveillance blanket of untold proportions. In addition to fitting cameras with facial recognition technology and placing them in cabs, the Home Office will use unmanned spy drones to keep a watchful eye on the citizenry, but will only do so for their own good, not to be intrusive.

Pretend Ways to Disable the Bowery Mural’s Surveillance Cams

Bucky Turco — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 21:00:10 +0000

Destroying private property is very very bad and we’d never ever advocate any kind of unlawful activity, but hypothetically speaking, the two cameras installed to guard a wall and surveill the public on Houston Street at the Bowery could easily be incapacitated. All someone would need is some basic items and probably a step stool since they’re about 10 feet off the ground. It also makes the most sense to utilize the nook located at the East end and work West. Some options:

1. Snips: Quickly cut the two wires located at the back of the cameras.
2. Spray paint: Blast the lens. Done.
3. Brick: Nuff said.
4. Gum: Big League Chew-style wads, proceed to smoosh.
5. Balloons: Although not nearly as destructive (or illegal) as the other options, it can be an effective way to temporarily block the camera’s field of vision.

Feel free to leave your ideas below in the comments.

Recording Police Can Get You Arrested… In the USA

Bucky Turco — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 21:00:29 +0000

A 60-year-old artist is facing up to 15 years in prison for recording his own arrest. Chris Drew was charged with eavesdropping under Illinois state law, a Class 1 felony, because he didn’t get permission from the Chicago officers who were busy arresting him reports the New York Times. And he’s not the only one.

All across the country, police departments are cracking down on citizens that capture footage of their arrest. You may recall the guy on the motorcycle with a helmet cam who was pulled over by a gun-wielding cop in an unmarked car, luckily the charges against him were dismissed. So let us get this straight. It’s okay for law enforcement to install an Orwellian amount of surveillance cameras in public spaces, mount dashboard cameras and soon deploy military-derived drones, but it’s illegal for a citizen to film their own arrest? That’s terrifying.

15 years in prison for this? Really? Really!: