Homemade signal blocker portable RF killer
The short version: A DIY "signal blocker" video from Digital ID, Mass Surveillance and Digital Currency spotlights the urge to go dark on ALPRs and other RF trackers, but jamming is illegal and not the fix we need.
Our Take
This video, from the channel Digital ID, Mass Surveillance and Digital Currency, taps into a real and growing frustration: the sense that we're all walking around broadcasting ourselves to networks we never agreed to join, from license plate cameras to phone pings. A homemade RF blocker is a tempting symbol of taking that power back into your own hands.
We have to be straight with readers, though — building or using an actual radio jammer is a federal crime in the US, full stop, no matter how righteous the motive. It can also knock out emergency communications nearby, which hands ammunition to anyone wanting to paint privacy advocates as reckless. The instinct behind the video is legitimate; the method isn't a real solution, and it's not one we can endorse.
The better fight is the boring, legal kind: knowing where Flock Safety and other ALPR cameras actually are, documenting their spread, and pushing your city council to end or limit these contracts. Check our camera map to see what's logged near you, and hit up our take-action page for ways to push back that won't land you in front of a judge.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Digital ID, Mass Surveillance and Digital Currency, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.