AI Summary
5 min readIn Atlanta, a group called D Flock holds a forum to protest a technology that is quietly blanketing the country. The target is Flock Safety, a company that has installed roughly 120,000 cameras across nearly every U.S. state. These are not ordinary surveillance cameras. They are automated license plate readers that capture about 20 billion license plates per month, along with identifying markers like dents, bumper stickers, and the make and model of a vehicle. Using AI, law enforcement and other customers can search through this vast database to track individual vehicles. The backlash against Flock is unusual because it spans the political spectrum, uniting civil liberties activists, cybersecurity researchers, and lawmakers from both parties.
How Flock Cameras Work and Why They Are Controversial
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:00) **Episode Open & Top Headlines** - The episode begins with a sponsor message, then the host, Kier Biedemey, introduces the day's top stories: Canada's new retaliatory tariffs, the spread of Flock cameras and the backlash, and Dolly Parton's death.
- 2 (01:10) **Canada Retaliates Against US Tariffs** - WSJ reporter Paul Vieira explains Canada's new retaliatory tariffs on US steel, aluminum, seafood, and other goods, targeting about $20 billion worth of imports.
- 3 (02:47) **Trump Threatens to Rename Lake Ontario** - President Trump posts on social media about renaming Lake Ontario to "Lake America" because the US "doesn't expect to be doing much business with Ontario anymore."
- 4 (03:04) **CIA Director's Surprise Moscow Visit** - CIA Director John Radcliffe makes his first publicly known trip to Moscow, spending about four hours there. The reason for the visit is unclear, and the CIA declines to comment.
- 5 (03:19) **First US Measles Deaths of the Year** - Pennsylvania reports two measles deaths in unvaccinated individuals. The US declared measles eliminated over 25 years ago, but cases have surged as vaccination rates fell.
- 6 (03:43) **SEC Investigates Situational Awareness Hedge Fund** - The Journal learns securities regulators are investigating trading at the AI-focused hedge fund, which suffered billions in losses last month. The SEC has sought information from banks that provided financing.
- 7 (04:05) **Dick's Sporting Goods Shares Plunge** - Dick's shares sink more than 30% after warning of lower profits, citing weak consumer spending on footwear. An analyst questions management's optimistic outlook from just 90 days ago.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
P.M. Edition for Aug. 25. National affairs reporter Kris Maher discusses how the AI surveillance company has become the target of bipartisan anger. And Canada retaliates against U.S. tariffs with some of its own. Ottawa-based reporter Paul Vieira says the tariffs are strategic—they target products from states in play in the U.S. midterm elections. Plus, Dolly Parton has died. The songwriter behind hits including “Jolene,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You” was 80 years old. Pierre Bienaimé hosts.
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