Flock is bad, but fleets of cars strapped to the teeth with cameras and sensors are suddenly ok even when they call the police on you? Why? Because of the makers of the technology that powers the cars say they are safer (via datasets that we have no way to validate)?

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jplona 2 days ago | parent | next [-]

I think there's a legitimate distinction between monitoring what's inside the car vs what's outside. Outside seems bad. Inside is probably necessary.

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handwarmers 2 days ago | parent | next [-]

This is a good distinction. My main concern with Waymo is that we have no way of knowing if they stick/will stick to only monitoring the inside.

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alt227 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

How are they supposed to drive themselves without monitoring whats going on outside the vehicle?

	▲	mckn1ght 2 days ago \| parent [-]
		That’s possible to do without also sending all the captured data to police.

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anon84873628 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Well for one, so far they've only called the police on people who chose to use the service.

When we have evidence that Waymo is contracting its external cameras out to local governments and allowing abuse, then we can criticize them for it.

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handwarmers 2 days ago | parent [-]

What do you mean? Google is legally required to share information, and does share information, when such information is requested through a whole variety of different means available to local governments. https://policies.google.com/terms/information-requests

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anon84873628 2 days ago | parent | next [-]

That's the same as the police getting security footage from any random building.

The problem with Flock is that they let police hop on and look at whatever they want whenever they want. Completely different operating modes and intentions.

Also, Google and Waymo are different companies under the same parent. Google's policies are irrelevant.

	▲	handwarmers 2 days ago \| parent [-]
		Yeah good point on the policies. It makes Waymo's case worse though, because they have nothing defined publicly. They are also for-profit, and trying to deploy to more cities. The concerns are real - https://www.criminallegalnews.org/news/2025/jul/1/driverless... "While companies like Waymo insist they require search warrants for footage, based on probable cause and judicial approval, the legal framework for accessing autonomous vehicle data remains unsettled. A 2022 analysis by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (“EFF”) noted that few states have specific laws governing law enforcement access to such data, leaving gaps in oversight. In Arizona, where Waymo operates extensively, police must typically obtain a search warrant to access footage, as required by state law for electronic records and consistent with Fourth Amendment protections. "

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seanmcdirmid 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

Only if they retain it, and I would bet they are purging it quickly as a matter of policy to avoid these kinds of situations.

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nbaugh1 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Because you sign up for the service, agree to the terms, and voluntarily get into the car.

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Simulacra 2 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Depends on how you feel about guns. I think people who are opposed to them would agree with this, people who are in favor of guns would be alarmed by this.

	▲	9x39 2 days ago \| parent [-]
		> I think people who are opposed to them would agree with this, people who are in favor of guns would be alarmed by this. Bizarrely, I think it comes out backwards. In this article, the comments are surprised that Waymo's gun detection led to someone contacting authorities - it's not over guns, but that it was "young people" with guns, which means they can't use generalizations, there have to be bespoke solutions unique to every individual, calling the police to assess on potential threats is too broad. The gun crowd would neither use taxis broadly to carry weapons, nor do so in the manner of the "juveniles" found in the article. Generalizing, they're well-versed in the minutiae of gun transport laws and more or less anticipate law enforcement contact, whether inadvertent or from Karens.

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newhotelowner 2 days ago | parent | prev [-]

I have an option not to use Waymo. I don't have an option not to get screwed by Flock.