Surveillance company ShotSpotter Sues Vice
The short version: ShotSpotter (now SoundThinking) is suing Vice over its reporting, and Not So Critical Update breaks down why that lawsuit is a bigger deal than one company's bruised ego.
Our Take
Credit to Mike (@zenmike) and Peter (@pgl) at Not So Critical Update for staying on this story. When a surveillance vendor sues a news outlet over an article critical of its product, that's not just a business dispute — it's a company trying to control the narrative around tech that watches and analyzes the public in real time. ShotSpotter has spent years fighting off scrutiny of its accuracy and its role in policing, and going after the press is a familiar move for surveillance vendors who'd rather litigate than answer hard questions.
This matters beyond gunshot detection. Flock Safety, ALPR vendors, and the whole automated-surveillance industry rely on the same playbook: sell cities on the promise of safety, resist independent audits, and lawyer up when journalists or watchdogs push back. Whether it's a microphone network or a camera network, the pattern is the same — opaque tech, thin oversight, and companies more interested in protecting their brand than their claims.
If you want to see how this plays out in your own neighborhood, check our camera map to find ALPR deployments near you, and visit take action for ways to push your local council toward real transparency and oversight before the next surveillance contract gets signed.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Not So Critical Update, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.