‹ BackHN Continuity

Thread

Missouri governor orders guardrails on Flock cameras and ALPRs

52 points · 31 comments · lenerdenator

  1. nemomarx · · focus · HN ↗
    This all seems like good and sensible restrictions. Cutting down on how long data can be stored helps with privacy in an cases, and making sure the data isn't being sold or shared with anyone but the state should at least cut off some misuse from private orgs.
    1. tiahura · · focus · HN ↗
      When I recognize someone at the mall, how long should I be able to remember that?
      1. gumby271 · · focus · HN ↗
        10 days, then we come after you with a big cartoon mallet to make you forget.
      2. iamnothere · · focus · HN ↗
        As long as you want. What should be illegal is hiring a bunch of people to follow everyone around and share notes.

        Willfully misunderstanding the impact of scale will not convince anyone. It’s obvious what you’re doing.

        1. tiahura · · focus · HN ↗
          So scale is the determinative factor?

          How many mean things should people be allowed to say about the president before you deem it excessive?

          1. iamnothere · · focus · HN ↗
            If you’re making a constitutional argument here, regulation of interstate commerce is constitutional. If I’m hiring a network of people to follow you around and make notes about you, that’s clearly commercial, and it’s going to cross state lines. Especially if I am myself being hired to hire those people, by people in all states, targeting people in all states.

            Regulation of speech is plainly unconstitutional. Regulation of commercial stalking may involve speech, but a balancing test would likely find that it’s primarily a question of commerce.

            The scale argument is the justification for creating the law in the first place, not what makes it legal or illegal. Yes, most people do think that scale makes things worse due to the increased effects. Mass murder is worse than regular murder, mass dumping is worse than throwing a single battery into a lake, etc. That’s why laws often take scale into account or create different offenses specifically based on scale.

Open on Hacker News to reply ↗

Unofficial Hacker News client; not affiliated with Y Combinator.