Mike Katz-Lacabe
@mlacabe.bsky.social
Director of Research at Oakland Privacy focused on law enforcement surveillance technologies (ALPR, StingRay, etc) and public records requests. Parent. Spouse. Card-carrying Antifa member.
Reposted by Mike Katz-Lacabe
“Housing shortage – Jews to blame," letter sticker, German Reich, 1938
zwangsraeume.berlin/en/context
zwangsraeume.berlin/en/context
November 14, 2025 at 2:16 AM
“Housing shortage – Jews to blame," letter sticker, German Reich, 1938
zwangsraeume.berlin/en/context
zwangsraeume.berlin/en/context
Reposted by Mike Katz-Lacabe
If Judge Currie rules that, as is self-evident, Lindsey Halligan has simply been playing dress-up US Attorney for the last two months, does Halligan go back to shutting down factually accurate exhibits on slavery at the Smithsonian?
Or does Trump just give her her Ambassadorial sinecure?
Or does Trump just give her her Ambassadorial sinecure?
November 13, 2025 at 5:20 PM
If Judge Currie rules that, as is self-evident, Lindsey Halligan has simply been playing dress-up US Attorney for the last two months, does Halligan go back to shutting down factually accurate exhibits on slavery at the Smithsonian?
Or does Trump just give her her Ambassadorial sinecure?
Or does Trump just give her her Ambassadorial sinecure?
Reposted by Mike Katz-Lacabe
News about the driver-surveillance company Flock just keeps coming in: findings from Massachusetts and Virginia, new deals with big companies, and more:
Flock Can Share Driver-Surveillance Data Even When Police Departments Opt Out, And Other Flock Developments | ACLU
The company’s default agreement with police departments grants the company license to share people’s license plate data
www.aclu.org
October 24, 2025 at 6:34 PM
News about the driver-surveillance company Flock just keeps coming in: findings from Massachusetts and Virginia, new deals with big companies, and more:
Reposted by Mike Katz-Lacabe
A breakdown of the new “Mobile Fortify” face recognition program, including lists of
a) The reasons it’s problematic,
b) The vast array of data that the agencies can connect to
c) Some of the unanswered questions that remain about the program.
a) The reasons it’s problematic,
b) The vast array of data that the agencies can connect to
c) Some of the unanswered questions that remain about the program.
Face Recognition and the ‘Trump Terror’: A Marriage Made in Hell | ACLU
ICE and CBP are smashing their way not only through car windows but also through any constraints on the use of face recognition
www.aclu.org
November 13, 2025 at 4:11 PM
A breakdown of the new “Mobile Fortify” face recognition program, including lists of
a) The reasons it’s problematic,
b) The vast array of data that the agencies can connect to
c) Some of the unanswered questions that remain about the program.
a) The reasons it’s problematic,
b) The vast array of data that the agencies can connect to
c) Some of the unanswered questions that remain about the program.
Reposted by Mike Katz-Lacabe
New: Google has chosen a side in Trump's mass deportation campaign. Google is hosting a CBP facial recognition app to hunt immigrants; no indication Google will remove. At same time Google takes down apps for reporting ICE sightings
“Big tech has made their choice”
www.404media.co/google-has-c...
“Big tech has made their choice”
www.404media.co/google-has-c...
Google Has Chosen a Side in Trump's Mass Deportation Effort
Google is hosting a CBP app that uses facial recognition to identify immigrants, while simultaneously removing apps that report the location of ICE officials because Google sees ICE as a vulnerable gr...
www.404media.co
November 13, 2025 at 2:11 PM
New: Google has chosen a side in Trump's mass deportation campaign. Google is hosting a CBP facial recognition app to hunt immigrants; no indication Google will remove. At same time Google takes down apps for reporting ICE sightings
“Big tech has made their choice”
www.404media.co/google-has-c...
“Big tech has made their choice”
www.404media.co/google-has-c...
Reposted by Mike Katz-Lacabe
We had a 5-0 passing of the formal #Flock suspension by #Redmond City Council tonight! 🏆
We could still use clarification on whether the cameras are physically prevented from capturing data and it's not just RPD without access.
It's not like we can trust Flock! 🤥
#deflock #surveilance #alpr
We could still use clarification on whether the cameras are physically prevented from capturing data and it's not just RPD without access.
It's not like we can trust Flock! 🤥
#deflock #surveilance #alpr
Redmond City Council, Special Meeting | November 12, 2025
YouTube video by City of Redmond
youtube.com
November 13, 2025 at 5:38 AM
We had a 5-0 passing of the formal #Flock suspension by #Redmond City Council tonight! 🏆
We could still use clarification on whether the cameras are physically prevented from capturing data and it's not just RPD without access.
It's not like we can trust Flock! 🤥
#deflock #surveilance #alpr
We could still use clarification on whether the cameras are physically prevented from capturing data and it's not just RPD without access.
It's not like we can trust Flock! 🤥
#deflock #surveilance #alpr
Reposted by Mike Katz-Lacabe
Important to understand the Epstein stuff and the fascism and the corruption are, in a lot of ways, really all the same story from different angles: powerful men who can and do abuse vulnerable people around them because they can, and because systems of elite accountability catastrophically failed
November 12, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Important to understand the Epstein stuff and the fascism and the corruption are, in a lot of ways, really all the same story from different angles: powerful men who can and do abuse vulnerable people around them because they can, and because systems of elite accountability catastrophically failed
Reposted by Mike Katz-Lacabe
🔥 The White House released an article on Monday citing a DoorDash report as confirmation that "inflation has been tamed."
I asked a DoorDash spokesperson today if the company had concluded from its report that inflation had been tamed. DoorDash spokesperson told me, "We did not write that."
I asked a DoorDash spokesperson today if the company had concluded from its report that inflation had been tamed. DoorDash spokesperson told me, "We did not write that."
NEW DATA: Lower Prices, Bigger Paychecks
President Donald J. Trump’s bold economic agenda is delivering real results for American families — with new data from DoorDash’s State of Local Commerce
www.whitehouse.gov
November 12, 2025 at 8:50 PM
🔥 The White House released an article on Monday citing a DoorDash report as confirmation that "inflation has been tamed."
I asked a DoorDash spokesperson today if the company had concluded from its report that inflation had been tamed. DoorDash spokesperson told me, "We did not write that."
I asked a DoorDash spokesperson today if the company had concluded from its report that inflation had been tamed. DoorDash spokesperson told me, "We did not write that."
Reposted by Mike Katz-Lacabe
openai is trying to program a stolen content machine to stop people from making stolen content
www.404media.co/openai-cant-...
www.404media.co/openai-cant-...
OpenAI Can’t Fix Sora’s Copyright Infringement Problem Because It Was Built With Stolen Content
OpenAI’s guardrails against copyright infringement are falling for the oldest trick in the book.
www.404media.co
November 12, 2025 at 3:55 PM
openai is trying to program a stolen content machine to stop people from making stolen content
www.404media.co/openai-cant-...
www.404media.co/openai-cant-...
Reposted by Mike Katz-Lacabe
"Democratic-led states are inadvertently sharing drivers' data with ICE, officials say"
"ICE and another Department of Homeland Security body, Homeland Security Investigations...accounted for nearly 900,000 queries against the database in the year prior to Oct. 1."
www.reuters.com/world/democr...
"ICE and another Department of Homeland Security body, Homeland Security Investigations...accounted for nearly 900,000 queries against the database in the year prior to Oct. 1."
www.reuters.com/world/democr...
www.reuters.com
November 12, 2025 at 2:59 PM
"Democratic-led states are inadvertently sharing drivers' data with ICE, officials say"
"ICE and another Department of Homeland Security body, Homeland Security Investigations...accounted for nearly 900,000 queries against the database in the year prior to Oct. 1."
www.reuters.com/world/democr...
"ICE and another Department of Homeland Security body, Homeland Security Investigations...accounted for nearly 900,000 queries against the database in the year prior to Oct. 1."
www.reuters.com/world/democr...
Reposted by Mike Katz-Lacabe
www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/softwar...
Kudos to the Python Software Foundation for refusing a $1.5m NSF grant which would have forced it to compromise on its DEI commitments #wellintended #wellindented
Kudos to the Python Software Foundation for refusing a $1.5m NSF grant which would have forced it to compromise on its DEI commitments #wellintended #wellindented
Python rejects $1.5M grant from U.S. govt. fearing ethical compromise
The Python Software Foundation (PSF) has withdrawn its $1.5 million grant proposal to the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) due to funding terms forcing a compromise on its commitment to diversit...
www.bleepingcomputer.com
November 12, 2025 at 12:37 PM
www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/softwar...
Kudos to the Python Software Foundation for refusing a $1.5m NSF grant which would have forced it to compromise on its DEI commitments #wellintended #wellindented
Kudos to the Python Software Foundation for refusing a $1.5m NSF grant which would have forced it to compromise on its DEI commitments #wellintended #wellindented
Reposted by Mike Katz-Lacabe
The City Council voted to postpone a five-year, $450K renewal of its Automated License Plate Reader system amid growing privacy and immigrant rights concerns.
www.paloaltoonline.c...
#surveillance #privacy #immigrantrights #eastpaloalto
1/3
www.paloaltoonline.c...
#surveillance #privacy #immigrantrights #eastpaloalto
1/3
East Palo Alto leaders push back on license plate readers amid privacy concerns
East Palo City Council on Tuesday postponed a five-year contract renewal of its Flock Automated License Plate Reader technology, citing concerns over data privacy and immigrant rights. The city entered a year-long pilot program in December 2024, installing 25 non-mobile cameras throughout the city to document the rear license plates on cars at a time […]
www.paloaltoonline.com
November 12, 2025 at 4:19 AM
The City Council voted to postpone a five-year, $450K renewal of its Automated License Plate Reader system amid growing privacy and immigrant rights concerns.
www.paloaltoonline.c...
#surveillance #privacy #immigrantrights #eastpaloalto
1/3
www.paloaltoonline.c...
#surveillance #privacy #immigrantrights #eastpaloalto
1/3
Reposted by Mike Katz-Lacabe
Agenda for "Suspension of #Flock #ALPR System" (AM No. 25-165) is now posted for the #Redmond City Council meeting on Wednesday November 12 at 18:30.
redmond.legistar.com/MeetingDetai...
A further discussion is planned for Tuesday November 18.
#deflock #surveillance #flocksafety
redmond.legistar.com/MeetingDetai...
A further discussion is planned for Tuesday November 18.
#deflock #surveillance #flocksafety
November 8, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Agenda for "Suspension of #Flock #ALPR System" (AM No. 25-165) is now posted for the #Redmond City Council meeting on Wednesday November 12 at 18:30.
redmond.legistar.com/MeetingDetai...
A further discussion is planned for Tuesday November 18.
#deflock #surveillance #flocksafety
redmond.legistar.com/MeetingDetai...
A further discussion is planned for Tuesday November 18.
#deflock #surveillance #flocksafety
Reposted by Mike Katz-Lacabe
Tacoma Drops Shot Spotter Program
Tacoma Drops Shot Spotter Program
tacomaweekly.com
November 11, 2025 at 6:50 PM
After so many years, The Simpsons continues to be spot on.
November 11, 2025 at 12:46 AM
After so many years, The Simpsons continues to be spot on.
Reposted by Mike Katz-Lacabe
When you are using the "AI" framing, does the way you talk about "AI" carry water for the Sam Altmans of the world? That is, are you helping to paint a picture of their tech as inevitable, all powerful, and/or anything other than commercial products?
>>
>>
November 10, 2025 at 8:35 PM
When you are using the "AI" framing, does the way you talk about "AI" carry water for the Sam Altmans of the world? That is, are you helping to paint a picture of their tech as inevitable, all powerful, and/or anything other than commercial products?
>>
>>
Reposted by Mike Katz-Lacabe
“But it turns out that once you’ve built a massive distributed surveillance network, it’s hard to rein in its use.”
The Tech Company Bringing Surveillance Dystopia to Your Town
Flock claims that its technology will literally eliminate crime. But what it’s unleashing may be just as insidious.
newrepublic.com
November 10, 2025 at 12:22 PM
“But it turns out that once you’ve built a massive distributed surveillance network, it’s hard to rein in its use.”
Reposted by Mike Katz-Lacabe
1/ The US Government has quietly removed a memorial to Black soldiers who died in World War II from the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, South Limburg. The move follows a complaint from the right-wing Heritage Foundation to the American Battle Monuments Commission. ⬇️
November 9, 2025 at 9:23 AM
1/ The US Government has quietly removed a memorial to Black soldiers who died in World War II from the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten, South Limburg. The move follows a complaint from the right-wing Heritage Foundation to the American Battle Monuments Commission. ⬇️
Reposted by Mike Katz-Lacabe
Just arrived: Advance copies of the first revised edition of Cult of the Dead Cow.
November 8, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Just arrived: Advance copies of the first revised edition of Cult of the Dead Cow.
Reposted by Mike Katz-Lacabe
you put self-driving cars on the road and you kill a person, you should be scared. if you put a chatbot into kids' hands and tell them to use it and they use it and then they kill themselves, you should be really fucking scared. the idea that the wagons should circle *around you* is unbelievable.
November 8, 2025 at 8:24 PM
you put self-driving cars on the road and you kill a person, you should be scared. if you put a chatbot into kids' hands and tell them to use it and they use it and then they kill themselves, you should be really fucking scared. the idea that the wagons should circle *around you* is unbelievable.
Reposted by Mike Katz-Lacabe
HE'S APPEALING TO THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES THAT HE BE ALLOWED TO STARVE AMERICANS
November 7, 2025 at 11:50 PM
HE'S APPEALING TO THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES THAT HE BE ALLOWED TO STARVE AMERICANS
Louder for the people in the back: mass surveillance does NOT make us safer. Kudos to cities like Evanston, Sedona and others for realizing this and taking appropriate action!
"Although Mexico City’s video surveillance system is a tool to prevent and punish crimes, the city still registers the highest crime rate in the country, with 54,473 crimes per 100,000 inhabitants."
Mexico City Is the Most Video-Surveilled Metropolis in the Americas
Despite 83,000 public cameras, crime in Mexico City remains high—and widespread surveillance raises myriad ethical issues.
www.wired.com
November 7, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Louder for the people in the back: mass surveillance does NOT make us safer. Kudos to cities like Evanston, Sedona and others for realizing this and taking appropriate action!
Reposted by Mike Katz-Lacabe
The AP tracked down details of some of the people killed in President Trump's military strikes on drug smugglers he describes as narco-terrorists.
They were, with one exception, not high-level criminals. One was a fisherman. One was a bus driver; another a taxi driver.
apnews.com/article/trum...
They were, with one exception, not high-level criminals. One was a fisherman. One was a bus driver; another a taxi driver.
apnews.com/article/trum...
November 7, 2025 at 3:18 PM
The AP tracked down details of some of the people killed in President Trump's military strikes on drug smugglers he describes as narco-terrorists.
They were, with one exception, not high-level criminals. One was a fisherman. One was a bus driver; another a taxi driver.
apnews.com/article/trum...
They were, with one exception, not high-level criminals. One was a fisherman. One was a bus driver; another a taxi driver.
apnews.com/article/trum...
Reposted by Mike Katz-Lacabe
Rep. Yassamin Ansari has set up a table and this sign outside Speaker Johnson’s office.
November 6, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Rep. Yassamin Ansari has set up a table and this sign outside Speaker Johnson’s office.
Reposted by Mike Katz-Lacabe
Jury nullification in action.
BREAKING NEWS from @mollyroberts.bsky.social: SANDWICH GUY FOUND NOT GUILTY
We have reached a verdict: Not guilty.
November 6, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Jury nullification in action.