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471 points tosh | 16 comments | | HN request time: 1.752s | source | bottom
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steelframe ◴[] No.41863798[source]
My concerns are around the normalization of pointing high-resolution cameras at people around you all the time. Perhaps this specific device may have a company behind it that, at least at the moment, will resist handing the video feed with you in it to the data brokers.

Make no mistake though, the data brokers are foaming at the mouth to get access to high-resolution constantly-streaming video content that includes your face, your location, and your activities. Imagine the sorts of things that are going to be sold to whoever is buying.

"Jake Jacobs, who is married, is striking up a lengthy conversation with the young woman seated next to him. His wife might be interested in ads for divorce lawyers."

"Jeff Jones is taking a middle-of-the-week flight to San Jose, and he just finished writing an email to a recruiter from another company who is based out of that city. His company is paying the data broker for intel on employees who may be shopping around, so let's get this info to them stat."

"Jennifer Smith looks to be 3 months pregnant and is flying from Texas to Colorado. She's reading a Planned Parenthood pamphlet. The State of Texas passed a law in 2026 requiring data brokers to report on such activities, so of course we'll let them know."

As competing products come along that are cheaper than the Apple doohickies in part because of the subsidies they get from the data brokers, portable VR headsets are going to bring along a significant deterioration of our already-dismal privacy protections.

replies(11): >>41863882 #>>41863915 #>>41864029 #>>41864176 #>>41864381 #>>41864818 #>>41865043 #>>41868766 #>>41873371 #>>41874179 #>>41876688 #
1. hammock ◴[] No.41863882[source]
>My concerns are around the normalization of pointing high-resolution cameras at people around you all the time.

This already exists with CCTVs on every major city streetcorner and Ring cameras on every doorstep. Not to mention Tesla cloud-connected cameras pointed inward and outward.

replies(5): >>41863946 #>>41863962 #>>41865995 #>>41867558 #>>41869104 #
2. massysett ◴[] No.41863946[source]
Most of the CCTV and Ring cameras are pretty lousy and they're in fixed locations. All the time I'll be out walking and hear an obnoxious "You are currently being recorded" announcement, but I'm far enough away from that cheap camera that I'm probably a shadowy figure in a grainy video.

These VR headsets on the other hand are high-quality, very close to other people, and mobile.

replies(2): >>41863971 #>>41864422 #
3. heeton ◴[] No.41863962[source]
I feel it's harder for a tesla to capture footage of a teenager reading a pamphlet on a plane, but who knows what Elon's plans are.
replies(1): >>41864023 #
4. hammock ◴[] No.41863971[source]
>Most of the CCTV and Ring cameras are pretty lousy and they're in fixed locations.

The CCTVs in Chicago are 360 degree panning plus up/down, and can zoom-in four blocks away with enough resolution to make out a face and license plate. https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/09/29/chicago-police-cam....

Here is an example of the cameras in action: https://x.com/CWBChicago/status/1445124776742227980

replies(1): >>41864486 #
5. hammock ◴[] No.41864023[source]
The airlines can do that themselves:

"Newer seat-back entertainment systems on some airplanes operated by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Singapore Airlines have cameras, and it’s likely they are also on planes used by other carriers." https://apnews.com/article/4c3ca3b46c704c6080ba026729fc8d21

replies(1): >>41874122 #
6. mixmastamyk ◴[] No.41864422[source]
Don't confuse temporary with forever. I remember folks dismissing digital cameras out of hand, and now you can barely buy an alternative.
7. oefnak ◴[] No.41864486{3}[source]
Did you have to pick a video where somebody is killed?
replies(1): >>41866206 #
8. signa11 ◴[] No.41865995[source]
cctvs are fixed, this is mobile ! not the same difference.
9. edm0nd ◴[] No.41866206{4}[source]
It's Chicago and that's pretty normal there.
replies(1): >>41868400 #
10. piltdownman ◴[] No.41867558[source]
Try getting CCTV footage passed as admissible in court in most of Europe. It's basically impossible, even at HD resolutions. That's if you can even get hold of the footage under GDPR - as it requires the police to request the footage and follow up with the business to ensure its passed on.
11. smnrg ◴[] No.41868400{5}[source]
Lol. Lines like this make it clear that anyone speaking about it has never actually lived in Chicago.

They may own a big hotel, run for public office, or (here) they may link a source or two leveraging a couple of neighborhoods raising statistics.

But they clearly never lived in, or know what it's like to live in, Chicago.

replies(1): >>41869666 #
12. red_admiral ◴[] No.41869104[source]
But we don't have CCTV in bathrooms, locker/changing rooms or swimming pools etc. You can't take a Tesla in there either (please don't give Elon any ideas though).

While I can't promise that all CCTV operators are honest people, at least there's some chance of going after the company involved if there's a mess-up. Random people on the street where you have no idea who they are filming you, that's a different thing.

Randos installing hidden cameras in women's toilets seems to be a big enough problem in South Korea that some of the public toilets at major stations are security checked for them every single day, as far as I know. I don't want those people anywhere near me with an always-on camera, even in public fully-clothed spaces.

13. edm0nd ◴[] No.41869666{6}[source]
No need to live there to know its reality. This type of violence is normalized there.

https://heyjackass.com/

replies(1): >>41872113 #
14. smnrg ◴[] No.41872113{7}[source]
Q.E.D. :)
15. trompetenaccoun ◴[] No.41874122{3}[source]
I fly a lot (though not in the US) and have never seen that. Would personally boycott airlines where I notice cameras in the back seats, wtf!
replies(1): >>41881666 #
16. hammock ◴[] No.41881666{4}[source]
https://preview.redd.it/passenger-facing-seat-back-cameras-v...