Who's Watching? Safeguarding our Privacy - an Indivisible Palo Alto Plus Democracy Forum
The short version: A Palo Alto community forum brings together top privacy voices to unpack how ALPR networks and mass surveillance are reshaping civic life.
Our Take
It says something that a local Democracy Forum in Palo Alto — hosted by Indivisible Palo Alto Plus and a church, of all places — pulled together Cyrus Farivar, Cindy Cohn, Brian Hofer, and Reem Suleiman for a sit-down on surveillance. These aren't fringe voices; they're people who've spent years in the weeds of ALPR policy, EFF litigation, and municipal privacy fights. When a panel like this gets assembled for a church basement audience instead of a tech conference, it's a sign the conversation about Flock Safety cameras and license plate tracking has genuinely gone mainstream, from city council chambers into the communities actually living under these networks.
Credit to filmmaker Matt Schlegel for capturing the full discussion and getting it online where more people can watch. What makes panels like this valuable isn't just the alarm-raising — it's the specificity. Hofer and Cohn in particular have fought these battles in real cities with real contracts, and that kind of grounded detail is what turns vague unease about 'being watched' into actionable local organizing.
If this video has you wondering what's parked at the end of your own street, check our camera map to see what's already been documented in your area, and visit our take-action page for concrete steps to push back before your city council locks in a multi-year surveillance contract.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of Matt Schlegel, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.