US Tech Resistance Build your own signal scanner important
The short version: A DIY signal-scanner tutorial from Digital ID, Mass Surveillance and Digital Currency shows everyday people how to start sniffing out the hidden electronics around them, ALPRs included.
Our Take
Credit where it's due: the creator behind Digital ID, Mass Surveillance and Digital Currency is pushing a DIY ethic that we think more people should embrace. Building your own signal scanner isn't just a fun electronics project — it's a way to reclaim some agency in a world where cameras, readers, and trackers get bolted to poles without a public vote or even a press release. If you can learn to detect the RF chatter coming off a nearby Flock Safety camera or similar device, you've taken a real step toward understanding what's actually watching you on your own street.
This matters because most ALPR deployments happen in the dark. No signage, no community meeting, just a quiet install on a utility pole and a new stream of your plate, location, and travel patterns flowing into a database you'll never see. A homemade scanner won't dismantle that system, but it puts a little power back in the hands of ordinary residents who want to know what's tracking them before they find out the hard way — through a data breach, a wrongful stop, or a subpoena they never saw coming.
We'd rather people start here than stay oblivious. If you want to see what's already been mapped in your area, check our camera map, and if you're ready to push back on installs happening near you, our take-action page has the tools to get started.
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.