#Surveillance Technology

[allthecanadianpolitics]

The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) and researchers from the Center for Suicide Intervention (CRISE) are developing an artificial intelligence system as part of the public transit authority's suicide prevention strategy. The pilot project scans closed circuit television, or CCTV, footage in the city's Metro stations to detect warning signs that a person may be in distress.  "We've analyzed the videos of all the people who attempted suicide [in the Metro] with the goal of trying to see if there are some indications that someone might be in distress," Brian Mishara, CRISE director and co-investigator of the STM AI project, told Daybreak Montreal host Sean Henry.

[...]

At the moment, Mishara says that the AI can correctly recognize one out of four people who will attempt suicide.

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Tagging @politicsofcanada

[emptyanddark]

...contemporary colonial projects tend toward the “operational enclosure,” which describes a digitally-mediated social hierarchy in which the movement and behaviour of certain racialized populations are made automatically detectable and thus controllable, while privileged settler populations are permitted to move around in a relatively frictionless way. [...] this form of enclosure is being adapted by government agencies and corporations across the Global South to slot marginalized populations into the operative logics of actionable intelligence. For privileged settlers, a seamless digitally integrated society brings them pride in the advancement of their country’s capabilities along with consumer convenience. For Muslims, on the other hand, the operational enclosure provokes intense fear."

"...advanced dataveillance technology is key in producing an efficient settler colonial state that can classify and segment its inhabitants. Two interrelated phenomena are at play here, one regarding the technology itself and the other about how it molds social reality. First, the technology is a black box—security workers do not really understand how it works beyond the reductive readouts they see on their screen: 99.11 percent match. Orange tag. Potentially “untrustworthy.” Second, in practice these simplistic characterizations and predictions come to be seen as truth. The technology is viewed as an unquestioned authoritative good, since it is perceived as scientific and state-of-the-art intelligence. The predictions made become legally enforced truths. Together, these two elements, the digital black box and the legal and social discourse of technological intelligence, are producing one of the first mass experiments in the colonial operational enclosure.

A more nuanced view of contemporary colonialisms attempts to show how these different forms of imperialism are entangled with each other and how they need to be opposed simultaneously.

[biggoldbelt]

Discover the Secrets Behind 'Where's Wanda' in Our Exclusive Lea Drinda Interview

Lea Drinda Interview by Big Gold Belt Media Lea Drinda (“Wanda Klatt”)–Synopsis:Apple’s first German-language series “Where’s Wanda” is a dark comedy that tells the story of Dedo and Carlotta Klatt, who are desperate to locate their missing 17-year-old daughter Wanda, who disappeared months ago without a trace. When the police fail to find her, the family takes matters into their own hands,…

[johngarrison1517]

How 2MP USB Cameras Power Facial Recognition Systems in Modern Surveillance

Security is a major concern for both communities and enterprises in the modern world. Effective surveillance systems are now crucial due to growing worries about crime and safety. 2MP USB cameras are one of the main technologies powering these systems; they are essential to facial recognition. In addition to strengthening security protocols, these cameras increase operational effectiveness in a number of industries. In this blog, we'll examine how cutting-edge facial recognition technology is revolutionizing contemporary surveillance with 2MP USB cameras.

The Role of 2MP USB Cameras in Surveillance

Why Choose a 2MP USB Camera for Surveillance?

When it comes to surveillance, image quality is paramount. A 2 MP USB camera provides high-definition video, offering clearer images that are essential for accurate facial recognition. With a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, these cameras can capture detailed facial features, ensuring that individuals can be identified reliably. This level of detail is crucial for various applications, from retail environments to secure facilities.

Benefits of Using 2MP USB Cameras for Facial Recognition

2MP USB cameras offer several advantages that make them an ideal choice for facial recognition systems:

Affordability: Compared to higher resolution cameras, 2MP USB cameras are cost-effective, making advanced surveillance accessible to a broader range of businesses.

Ease of Integration: With USB connectivity, these cameras can be easily integrated into existing systems without extensive modifications. This means businesses can enhance their surveillance capabilities without significant upfront investments.

User-Friendly Operation: Many 2MP USB cameras come with simple software that supports facial recognition, allowing users to implement advanced security measures without needing extensive technical knowledge.

Applications of 2MP USB Cameras in Various Industries

Retail security and customer insights

In retail settings, 2MP USB cameras equipped with facial recognition capabilities can analyze customer demographics and behavior. Retailers can use this data to tailor marketing strategies and enhance customer experiences. Additionally, these cameras help deter shoplifting by identifying known offenders in real time.

Public Safety and Law Enforcement

In public spaces, such as airports and train stations, 2MP USB cameras with facial recognition play a vital role in enhancing safety. Law enforcement agencies use these cameras to identify suspects quickly and efficiently, helping to maintain security in crowded environments.

Corporate Security

Many companies are now incorporating 2MP USB cameras into their security protocols. By utilizing facial recognition technology, businesses can restrict access to sensitive areas, ensuring that only authorized personnel are permitted entry. This layer of security not only protects assets but also fosters a safer workplace environment.

Overcoming Challenges in Facial Recognition Technology

Privacy Concerns and Ethical Considerations

While 2MP USB cameras provide numerous benefits, their use in facial recognition raises privacy concerns. It's crucial for businesses to implement transparent policies and secure data handling practices. By prioritizing ethical considerations, companies can build trust with their customers while leveraging advanced technology.

Accuracy and reliability

The accuracy of facial recognition systems can be affected by various factors, including lighting conditions and camera placement. However, 2MP USB cameras are designed to operate effectively in diverse environments. Proper positioning and calibration can significantly improve recognition rates, ensuring that security measures are both reliable and effective.

Future Trends in Surveillance Technology

Advances in AI and Machine Learning

As technology evolves, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning into facial recognition systems is expected to enhance the capabilities of 2 MP USB cameras. These advancements will enable cameras to learn from their surroundings, improving accuracy over time and reducing the likelihood of false positives.

The shift toward smart surveillance

The future of surveillance is smart and interconnected. With IoT (Internet of Things) integration, 2MP USB cameras will be able to communicate with other security devices, creating a cohesive security network. This interconnectedness will allow for real-time alerts and more comprehensive monitoring, enhancing overall safety.

Explore More About 2MP USB Cameras

As the demand for efficient surveillance solutions continues to grow, understanding the capabilities of 2MP USB cameras is essential. They not only provide high-quality images for facial recognition but also offer versatile applications across various sectors. Interested in learning more about how 2MP USB cameras can enhance your security system? Explore our range of solutions or contact us for personalized advice.

Keep yourself updated and ahead of the curve! Get the most recent information about surveillance technologies and professional advice on how to improve your security measures by subscribing to our newsletter. Please contact us if you need help or if you have any questions. Visit our website to learn more about the surveillance technologies of the future!

[monetizeme]

"DPS plans to spend millions in taxpayer dollars on a controversial software, used first as part of Governor Abbott’s border crackdown, to “disrupt potential domestic terrorism.”"

[90smisaki]

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[ckvisiontechnology]

In Search of a High-Quality 0.3mp SPI Camera Module for Security Systems? Here is a Solution for You!

A high-quality 0.3mp SPI camera module is built using top-notch materials. CK Vision’s camera module manufacturer creates a long-lasting device that provides sharp and clear images during video conferencing and other machine visions. CK Vision offers a variety of modules. You can get the best modules here.

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[trapangeles]

Smash-and-Grab Burglars Strike Macy's Store in Arcadia: Police Launch Search for Suspects

In a brazen and unsettling incident, a group of smash-and-grab burglars targeted a Macy's store in Arcadia, prompting swift action from local law enforcement agencies. The audacious burglary, captured on video from inside the store, highlights the increasing challenges faced by retailers and the urgent need for vigilance in safeguarding commercial spaces.

The incident unfolded with startling efficiency, as the masked suspects stormed the Macy's store with their faces and heads concealed, leaving no doubt about their intent. Video footage from the scene reveals a disturbing scene—the burglars systematically placing boxed sets of perfume into bags, knowing that time was of the essence.

The smash-and-grab spree, a criminal tactic characterized by swift entry and exit, is not only a threat to businesses but also a concern for public safety. The organized nature of such burglaries underscores the level of planning and coordination that these criminal groups employ.

As authorities launch a search for the suspects involved, the incident brings into focus the challenges faced by law enforcement in tracking and apprehending those responsible for such audacious crimes. The safety of both retail employees and shoppers is paramount, and efforts to bring these criminals to justice are of utmost importance.

The incident also serves as a reminder for businesses to remain proactive in fortifying their security measures. Retailers are increasingly investing in surveillance technology, alarm systems, and collaboration with law enforcement to prevent and mitigate such incidents.

In a time when commercial spaces can become targets for opportunistic criminals, the incident at Macy's store in Arcadia underscores the critical need for a united front in combating crime. The community, law enforcement, and business owners must work hand in hand to ensure the safety and security of public spaces.

As the investigation unfolds and the search for the smash-and-grab burglars continues, the incident stands as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by law enforcement in maintaining order and safeguarding businesses and communities alike.

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[tentacion3099]

"This smart camera is able to collect information about customers in a coffee shop as well as workers, converting their actions to readable data. Fooling a camera from recognizing the form of a human is easy enough, but what happens when they track actions instead?"

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Return to office and dying on the job

Denise Prudhomme's bosses at Wells Fargo insisted that the in-person camaraderie of their offices warranted a mandatory return-to-office policy, but when she died at her desk in her Tempe, AZ office, no one noticed for four days.

That was in August. Now, Wells Fargo United has published a statement on her death, one that vibrates with anger at the callously selective surveillance that Wells Fargo inflicts on its workforce:

https://www.reddit.com/r/WellsFargoUnited/comments/1fnp9fa/please_print_and_take_to_your_managersite_leader/

The union points out that Wells Fargo workers are subjected to continuous, fine-grained on-the-job surveillance from a variety of bossware tools that count their keystrokes and create tables of the distancess their mice cross each day:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/02/24/gwb-rumsfeld-monsters/#bossware

Wells Fargo's message to its workforce is, "You can't be trusted," a policy that Wells Fargo doubled down on with its Return to Office mandate. Return to Office is often pitched as a chance to improve teamwork, communication, and human connection with your co-workers, and there's no arguing with the idea that spending some time in person with people can help improve working relationships (I attended a week-long, all-hands, staff retreat for EFF earlier this month and it was fantastic, primarily due to its in-person nature).

But our bosses don't want us back in the office because they enjoy our company, nor because they're so excited about having hired such a swell bunch of folks and can't wait to see how we all get along together. As John Quiggin writes, the biggest reason to force us back to the office is to get a bunch of us to quit:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/sep/26/in-their-plaintive-call-for-a-return-to-the-office-ceos-reveal-how-little-they-are-needed

As one of Musk's toadies put it in a private message before the Twitter takeover, "Sharpen your blades boys. 2 day a week Office requirement = 20% voluntary departures":

https://techcrunch.com/2022/09/29/elon-musk-texts-discovery-twitter/

The other reason to spy on us is because they don't trust us. Remember all the panic about "quiet quitting" and "no one wants to work"? Bosses' hypothesis was that eking out a bare minimum living on from a couple of small-dollar covid stimulus checks was preferable to working for them for a full paycheck.

Every accusation is a a confession. When your boss tells you that he thinks that you can't be trusted to do a good job without total, constant surveillance, he's really saying, "I only bother to do my CEO job when I'm afraid of getting fired':

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/19/make-them-afraid/#fear-is-their-mind-killer

As Wells Fargo United notes, Wells Fargo employees like Denise Prudhomme are spied on from the moment they set foot in the building until the moment they clock out (and sometimes the spying continues when you're off the clock):

Wells Fargo monitors our every move and keystroke using remote, electronic technologies—purportedly to evaluate our productivity—and will fire us if we are caught not making enough keystrokes on our computers.

The Arizona Republic coverage notes further that Prudhomme had to log her comings and goings from the Wells Fargo offices with a badge, so Wells Fargo could see that Prudhomme had entered the premises four days before, but hadn't left:

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/tempe-breaking/2024/09/23/wells-fargo-employees-union-responds-death-tempe-woman/75352015007/

Wells Fargo has mandated in-person working, even when that means crossing a state line to be closer to the office. They've created "hub cities" where workers are supposed to turn up. This may sound convivial, but Prudhomme was the only member of her team working out of the Tempe hub, so she was being asked to leave her home, travel long distances, and spend her days in a distant corner of the building where no one ventured for periods of (at least) four days at a time.

Bosses are so convinced that they themselves would goof off if they could that they fixate on forcing employees to spend their days in the office, no matter what the cost. Back in March 2020, Charter CEO Tom Rutledge – then the highest-paid CEO in America – instituted a policy that every back office staffer had to work in person at his call centers. This was the most deadly phase of the pandemic, there was no PPE to speak of, we didn't understand transmission very well, and vaccines didn't exist yet. Charter is a telecommunications company and it was booming as workers across America upgraded their broadband so they could work from home, and the CEO's response was to ban remote work. His customer service centers were superspreading charnel houses:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/03/18/diy-tp/#sociopathy

That Wells Fargo would leave a dead employee at her desk for four days is par for the course for the third-largest commercial bank in America. This is Wells Fargo, remember, the company that forced its low-level bank staff to open two million fake accounts in order to steal from their customers and defraud their shareholders, then fired and blackballed staff who complained:

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/26/495454165/ex-wells-fargo-employees-sue-allege-they-were-punished-for-not-breaking-law

The executive who ran that swindle got a $125 million bonus:

https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2016/09/wells-fargo-ceos-teflon-don-act-backfires-at-senate-hearing-i-take-full-responsibility-means-anything-but.html

And the CEO got $200 million:

https://money.cnn.com/2016/09/21/investing/wells-fargo-fired-workers-retaliation-fake-accounts/index.html

It's not like Wells Fargo treats its workers badly but does well by everyone else. Remember, those fake accounts existed as part of a fraud on the company's investors. The company went on to steal $76m from its customers on currency conversions. They also foreclosed on customers who were up to date on their mortgages, seizing and selling off all their possessions. They argued that when bosses pressured tellers into forging customers on fraudulent account-opening paperwork, that those customers had lost their right to sue, since the fraudulent paperwork had a binding arbitration clause. When they finally agreed to pay restitution to their victims, they made the payments opt-in, ensuring that most of the millions of people they stole from would never get their money back.

They stole millions with fraudulent "home warranties." They stole millions from small businesses with fake credit-card fees. They defrauded 800,000 customers through an insurance scam, and stole 25,000 customers' cars with illegal repos. They led the pre-2008 pack on mis-selling deceptive mortgages that blew up and triggered the foreclosure epidemic. They loaned vast sums to Trump, who slashed their taxes, and then they fired 26.000 workers and did a $40.6B stock buyback. They stole 525 homes from mortgage borrowers and blamed it on a "computer glitch":

https://pluralistic.net/2021/09/29/jubilance/#too-big-to-jail

Given all this, two things are obvious: first, if anyone is going to be monitored for crimes, fraud and scams, it should be Wells Fargo, not its workers. Second, Wells Fargo's surveillance system exists solely to terrorize workers, not to help them. As Wells Fargo United writes:

We demand improved safety precautions that are not punitive or cause further stress for employees. The solution is not more monitoring, but ensuring that we are all connected to a supportive work environment instead of warehoused away in a back office.

Tor Books as just published two new, free LITTLE BROTHER stories: VIGILANT, about creepy surveillance in distance education; and SPILL, about oil pipelines and indigenous landback.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/09/27/sharpen-your-blades-boys/#disciplinary-technology

[kropotkindersurprise]

September 2, 2023 - a San Francisco local disables a Cruise self-driving car. If you live in a place where Silicon Valley bullshit like driverless cars or autonomous delivery robots or doorbell cameras are becoming commonplace it might be a good idea to follow the example of this trendsetter and start carrying around a skimask and a hammer, just in case. [video]

[meret118]

The cogent documentary, “Surveilled,” now available on HBO, tracks journalist Ronan Farrow as he investigates the proliferation and implementation of spyware, specifically, Pegasus, which was created by the Israeli company NSO Group. The company sells its product to clients who use it to fight crime and terrorism. It is claimed that Pegasus was instrumental in helping capture Mexican drug lord, Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzman. However, there are also reports that NSO’s products are being used to target journalists, human rights activists and political dissidents.

. . .

Farrow: I put up a piece in The New Yorker this week. It was fascinating to talk to experts in the privacy law space who are really in a high state of alarm right now. The United States, under administrations from both parties, has flirted with this technology in ways that is alarming. Under the first Trump administration, they bought Pegasus. They claimed they were buying it to test it and see what our enemies were doing, and The New York Times later sued them for more information and found really persuasive evidence that the FBI wanted to operationalize that in American law enforcement investigations.

In September, the Department of Homeland Security (D.H.S.) signed a two-million-dollar contract with Paragon, an Israeli firm whose spyware product Graphite focusses on breaching encrypted-messaging applications such as Telegram and Signal. Wired first reported that the technology was acquired by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)—an agency within D.H.S. that will soon be involved in executing the Trump Administration’s promises of mass deportations and crackdowns on border crossings. A source at Paragon told me that the deal followed a vetting process, during which the company was able to demonstrate that it had robust tools to prevent other countries that purchase its spyware from hacking Americans—but that wouldn’t limit the U.S. government’s ability to target its own citizens. The technology is part of a booming multibillion-dollar market for intrusive phone-hacking software that is making government surveillance increasingly cheap and accessible. In recent years, a number of Western democracies have been roiled by controversies in which spyware has been used, apparently by defense and intelligence agencies, to target opposition politicians, journalists, and apolitical civilians caught up in Orwellian surveillance dragnets.

Now Donald Trump and incoming members of his Administration will decide whether to curtail or expand the U.S. government’s use of this kind of technology. Privacy advocates have been in a state of high alarm about the colliding political and technological trend lines.

“It’s just so evident—the impending disaster,” Emily Tucker, the executive director at the Center on Privacy and Technology at Georgetown Law, told me. “You may believe yourself not to be in one of the vulnerable categories, but you won’t know if you’ve ended up on a list for some reason or your loved ones have. Every single person should be worried.”