The Emperor Needs This: “Darth Vader” TORCHES Flock Surveillance At City Council Meeting | SAN DIEGO

Our Take

Credit to Oneindia News for capturing this one — sometimes a lightsaber and a cape communicate the stakes of mass surveillance better than a stack of policy memos. The bit about the Empire needing Flock's camera network isn't just a gag; it's a pointed jab at how easily these systems slide from catching stolen cars to becoming infrastructure for unchecked tracking of everyone who drives through town.

Public comment theater aside, San Diego's city council chambers are exactly where these fights need to happen. Flock's ALPR network has spread into thousands of communities with little public debate about retention windows, data sharing with federal agencies, or who gets access to the location history being quietly compiled on ordinary residents. A guy in a Vader costume got people laughing, but the underlying critique — that local governments are building surveillance infrastructure without real oversight — is dead serious.

If your town has Flock cameras and you didn't get a vote on it, you're not alone. Check our camera map to see what's already watching your streets, and head to our take-action page if you want to push back before your own council meeting needs a costume to get attention.