[Discussion:] How does physical surveillance affect you?

2026-04-19 17:03 UTC

I wish to have a discussion about how physical surveillance affects you in your day-to-day life; apart from Flock and (Ring) doorbell cameras (which I believe are pretty established at this point). This in context with your country of residence, and whether in a rural or densely populated area (as (“smart”) cities typically “progress” at a faster rate). I live in a medium-sized village, in a low-density area of The Netherlands. I rarely travel long distances and visit cities, but despite that, I’m increasingly confronted with surveillance infrastructure. Maybe it’s because I know too much about it, and I no longer have the option to be unaware of it, but it eats at me on a daily basis. Most notable is surveillance surrounding highways, especially: the increased density of radar sensors (which, on their own, might not reveal much about individuals; but could reveal one’s progression when paired to ALPR data, for instance), “focusflitsers” (a (mobile) array of thermal-imaging cameras: peering through a vehicle’s windshield, supposedly patrolling phone-usage during driving, but also featuring an ALPR (which also captures the driver, besides the license plate of course), and may also be used to record speed-indications (to identify “verkeershufters”: roughly translating to “traffic jerks”)), dedicated (mobile or stationary) ALPR cameras (supposedly only for detecting warranted vehicles or “hits”: unless published in the police’s “cameraplan”), “trajectcontroles” (average speed monitoring: essentially two sets of ALPRs, calculating the average time between readings), and (now) digital speed cameras (typically at intersections: instead of adapting road design…). But I’m glad I trust my government to only store “hits” and those in violation… /s Other than that, I’ve spotted ALPRs (alongside an increasing number of PTZ cameras) at gas stations and above infrastructure (like bridges), but also built within boom gates before parking areas or recycling centers (behind a little square of darkened glass: in the base of the gate); and in, and surrounding retail areas (especially supermarkets) the number of cameras have risen (including the cameras at the self-checkout lanes: staring customers straight in the face; supposedly to discourage theft, but considering the “pay by face” concept, I fear it’s in preparation thereof). Buses, structurally driving through my street, also have (exterior) camera side-mirrors, and therefore frequently capture me. And finally the eyesore that is public-facing home-surveillance systems (despite legally not allowed to, but of course not actively being enforced: as the government would shoot itself in the foot if it did). That was my little rant, please feel free to leave yours below in the comments; I’m somewhat desperate to hear it. I’m especially interested in stories from Denmark: as even my mom (despite of the “I’ve got nothing to hide” type) noticed “average speed monitoring” cameras all throughout the country, and “speed cameras” being at the entrance of villages (which I believe you aren’t allowed to be notified about in navigation programs: which is also insane to me), when she was there on a holiday. Please be very critical of every camera you’re confronted with, including those that appear to have been there for your entire life. It’s safe to assume every camera (including old “analog” cameras: through encoders) feed back into modern, digital surveillance platforms: which allow the footage to be actively monitored by AI (often to potentially trigger an alert, which an operator could respond to), possibly retained for an extended period of time (especially when considered evidence, it may be stored long-term: on a centralized server and/or cloud storage), and is shared effortlessly over the internet (instead of requiring physical transfer).

Replies (11)

@spax@party.lumanesence.co.uk 2026-04-27 17:07

Doesn’t

Open ##1945473
@RheumatoidArthritis@mander.xyz 2026-04-19 19:10

I had to stop paying attention to physical surveillance because at one point I was unable to normally function without constant anxiety. The cameras are terrifying and so are cashless-only payments for public transport, parking, highways. I like how the British have a tradition of destroying cameras in public spaces, but I’m too much of a coward to do the same where I live.

Open ##1945596
@prunerye@slrpnk.net 2026-04-20 12:47

I’m somewhere in the U.S. Our local politicians suck. I want to relocate. I supported someone last election cycle who was opposed to flock cameras, but they’ve completely fallen in lockstep with the established authoritarians since taking office. So I have been trying to avoid flock cameras on my route to work. But every time I find a minor detour, a new camera pops up. And even then, many of those detours are through residential neighborhoods, where every third person is a collaborator has a ring camera. My current route has me circling around the entire town before slipping back in on the other side. My commute has gone from ~20 minutes to ~40 minutes each way, which is just barely within my tolerance before I throw in the towel. There are several businesses I won’t even go to anymore, either because every possible route is surveilled, or because the business owners actively work against my interests (e.g. Whole Foods), which is actually good, since I find myself rabidly supporting local businesses, just as I should have been doing all along.

Open ##1945779
@u9000@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2026-04-20 20:34

I’m a politically active anarchist (Boston US). The extent of my political activities is giving food to people, but the cameras have completely changed my threat model. Under current directives, the FBI considers me a domestic terrorist and violent extremist because I am trans and against fascism (not because of my actions – I am not violent). Legally they can’t just randomly arrest me because of our right to free speech, but they can arrest me for something entirely unrelated and punish me disproportionally, so the cameras have changed the way I act in the city and online. I am now much more cautious about everything; I worry about simply putting a “scam” sticker over somebody else’s sticker promoting a scam. I am constantly aware of law enforcement around me. I scan my surroundings regularly to make an updated escape plan. I notice every person walking down the street I’m on. I carry a knife and pepper spray. I regularly ask myself what would happen if a cop pulled me over / stopped me at this moment, and am well aware of the varying rights and legal obligations in those situations. It’s not possible to avoid the cameras when driving, so I can’t just change my route. I have to simply accept the fact that they know my routine and location and they know what I do day-to-day. I am very careful about what I say both online and in person so as to not appear like I might ever do anything beyond giving food to people and broadly complaining. And the worst part is that I’m just a 19 year old who has big ideas but won’t do any harm. I just so happen to be several minorities, so the stakes are much higher

Open ##1947534
@FineCoatMummy@sh.itjust.works 2026-04-19 19:49

> That was my little rant, please feel free to leave yours below in the comments; I’m somewhat desperate to hear it. I'm in the US. Lots here is commercial. Cameras are all over in most stores. Everything bigger than mom & pop tier and even some of those. Long ago, that was kind of okay. They were closed circuit. The video went to a literal video tape to be overwritten in 1-3 days. Now? It's unavoidable mass surveilance coupled to AI and cloud based analytics. The bigger chains run sophisticated facial recognition and AI behavior analysis. Is that just for anti-theft? Oh no! These systems are used to [analyze customer behavior](https://medium.com/@API4AI/turning-store-traffic-footage-into-marketing-insights-5edcc38c796a). *"Modern vision technologies are turning store video footage into powerful marketing insights"*. Are you staring at a product, or looking away? Did you stop and pause near a display? Do you appear interested, or distracted? Did you pick up a product and return it to the shelf? Or place it in your cart? Did you read the label first? What route did you take through the store? These are all *literally* what modern video customer analytics do. *"This is where modern video analytics shines: it allows stores to map the entire in-store customer journey, from the moment someone enters to the moment they make a purchase (or leave without one). More advanced models add pose estimation, which looks at body posture and hand movement."* It's like somebody told Orwell 1984 was MUCH too mild. Oh, did you want to opt out? Sure! You can. All you got to do is stop eating food! > but it eats at me on a daily basis. Totally with you, sir, ma'am or other. I try to be an upstanding person. I try to help those around me. To be kind to others. To support my community and my neighbors. I just don't want to live in a fucking constantly monitored world without a lick of privacy left. Where every action I have ever taken is recorded, analyzed, used against me. I believe this erodes democratic societies. These data streams are inevitably abused by tyranical ones. It's a cancer on our societies. It harms all of us.

Open ##2068888
@Cherry@piefed.social 2026-04-19 19:37

The car thing bothers me. I have purposely chose an old non smart car, but given I have a license plate i am still monitored. I am seeing a lot just randomly on roadsides and I live kinda regional. As for out in public, I have been considering a really light mouth mask, glasses and a hat. I thought I was crazy...I really thought i was turning into an irrational paranoid person. Can't shop online as I cant stand online shopping and algorithms anymore, plus i prefer to shop local. Its like a trap.

Open ##2068889
@OhVenus_Baby@lemmy.ml 2026-04-19 18:31

All sorts of new tower cameras popping up rapidly in my area. They look errily similar to a phone tower but much smaller. Single turret style rotational camera on top of a black tower.

Open ##2068890
@Peffse@lemmy.world 2026-04-19 18:51

Your title has it a little bit backwards. It doesn't affect you, until it *does*. That's why privacy is so difficult. People are naturally reactive. Their phone number gets leaked, they get spam calls, they suddenly care who has their phone number. But a license plate capture? There is no immediate affect. If the driver was given a monetary charge for every single license plate capture, there would be rioting in the streets and so many laws would be written and repealed... but there isn't. So people don't care because it doesn't affect them. I tried explaining this to my parents, and they got the concept in general, but again they are naturally reactive in their habits. They won't discuss banking details in front of their Alexa microphone, but will happily install a driving tracker in their car at the behest of their insurance agent. When their insurance went up because of excess braking (they have those BS short yellow lights to help the red-light cameras) then suddenly they cared that they were being tracked. The surveillance didn't affect them, until it did. It's so easy for people to just not think about it, or assume it won't happen to them, because that's the easiest method to cope with the shrinking amount of privacy we get. I know of no way to champion privacy. No call to arms about an offense to rally behind. It's a slow erosion that people don't immediately notice, until it finally affects them.

Open ##2068891
@northernlights@lemmy.today 2026-04-20 17:01

I know you wrote "apart from Ring" but I literally can't smoke a J anywhere in my yard (front, back, or sides) without being in view of at least one of them from various neighbors. It's oppressing. Not that they ever complained; it just makes it harder to relax. Literally I move a little and see red dots popping up.

Open ##2068892
@Fleppensteijn@sh.itjust.works 2026-04-20 06:49

I'm in the Netherlands right now. You may have a different perspective if you're a car owner, but I really noticed I'm not being spied on as much. I believe it's not really allowed for a private person to film a public street neither, and I simply don't see any cameras. I live in Prague. When I go for a walk there, there's hundreds of cameras following me. It's like every home has at least one camera and they're not just filming their own property. It feels uncomfortable: you never know who's watching or what's done with the footage.

Open ##2068896
@HubertManne@piefed.social 2026-04-20 17:07

I live in a dense enough area that you can't throw a stone without hitting a school. seriously if you are at a school there is likely a school of some kind within a mile. Im at the edge of the major density so it does slow down going in the one direction. Oh also red light cameras are like at every light which is most intersections.

Open ##2068901