ESP32 for Privacy: Detect Surveillance #shorts
The short version: STS Technologies LLC shows how a cheap ESP32 board can be turned into a DIY tool for spotting surveillance gear like Flock Safety ALPR cameras.
Our Take
There's something fitting about fighting a surveillance dragnet with a five-dollar microcontroller. STS Technologies LLC's short on using an ESP32 to detect nearby surveillance tech is a good reminder that you don't need a law degree or a lobbyist to start pushing back on ALPR networks — just curiosity, a soldering iron, and the willingness to ask what's watching you on your own street.
Flock Safety has spent years normalizing cameras on utility poles with zero public input, banking on the assumption that most drivers will never notice the box bolted above them. Projects like FLOCKYOU chip away at that assumption by putting detection power back in the hands of regular people instead of leaving it to police departments and camera vendors to decide what counts as 'public safety.'
We're not in the business of endorsing specific hardware, but we appreciate anyone building tools that make invisible infrastructure visible. If you want to see what's already been mapped in your area, check our camera map, and if you're ready to do something about it locally, our take-action page is a solid next step.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of STS Technologies LLC, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.