Surveillance state - What's happening in different countries? \ stacker news ~news

Surveillance state - What's happening in different countries?

467 sats \ 19 comments \ @justanumber 14 Jan news

I spent a month in the UK over the summer. It was crazy. Cameras every 50mtrs on the motorway Facial recognition being installed in many shops (thru a company called Facewatch) Many of the shops are employing fewer staff and funneling customers thru the self checkers that have large screens with cameras filming people as they scan their shopping. A lot of the customers (and more confusingly the staff) didn't understand why we didn't want to use them, even after we explained why (want to keep cash, don't want to be surveilled and filmed and want to keep people's jobs etc.. and btw customers will be doing your job for free and you'll be jobless). Some staff in supermarkets and pubs had started wearing body cams! Low emission and ultra low emission zones restricting cars and fining drivers (war on cars). In London there are traffic cameras everywhere!! Many different kinds. It's getting crazy. Surveillance state.

What's happening in other countries?

What/where are some decent places to consider living where there is less of the technocratic surveillance state creep?

Is there even anywhere to escape this?

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30 sats \ 8 replies \ @riberet19 15 Jan

In my country, Spain, something similar is happening, although not as much as in the UK, the issue of cameras is an everyday thing here, there are more and more restrictions on cash, we have taxes that are barely breathing, and crime is on the rise, due to the policies of this government, they are also developing zero emissions and low emissions zones, in a few years it will be like the UK or who knows, maybe worse.

50 sats \ 3 replies \ @satoshiplanet 15 Jan

Hey sat, if u are located in malaga some stackers ll organize a meetup last week Jan 😎

30 sats \ 1 reply \ @riberet19 15 Jan

In fact I am from Malaga but I live in Alicante, in February I will be in Malaga again, if you want next time you can count on me, you can ask for my contact, I don't know if you can send private messages through stacker.news.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @satoshiplanet 15 Jan

Awesome 👍 for dms we could use nostr npub1hkjp0t82mfla4vscnkumt6jddkdw87satkcqqfm4z7clfjlsju4spma7mk

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @justanumber OP 15 Jan

I might come depending on time/day :) Can you do DMs on SN?

0 sats \ 3 replies \ @justanumber OP 15 Jan

I was in Spain last year and I'm here now (I've been nomadic the few years). Last year transport cops in helicopters were scouting low along highway to catch speeding motorists. We noticed there are speed radar warnings on the road with a picture of a helicopter and a drone. Apparently there will indeed be drones doing the job (cheaper than a heli, I guess). It's not necessarily the speeding but the other types of surveillance the cameras will used for. I paid for something the other day by card in Spain and the brand new card machine had a little camera on it. But I guess they will be made overseas and implemented in many countries eventually. I haven't seen many of the self scanner in shops in Spain (except Decathlon), like there are in the UK.

What kind of restrictions on cash are they using in Spain so far? Cash is still very much widely used here in Spain. I hear it's because of the tax which, as you say, is truly eye watering! I hear around 50% or more in some areas. Of course the true tax will be much more due all the the double, triple dipping and hidden taxes. I see people paying with cash all the time and do it myself as much as possible.

What seems to be happening is things are implemented in different ways at different times according to what the populace will tolerate. People in the UK don't seem to question much and accept or even embrace cash-free, self checkers, cameras etc

50 sats \ 2 replies \ @riberet19 15 Jan

Basically they are putting restrictions on how much money you can withdraw from the bank per day if I'm not mistaken, no more than 1000 euros, on the other hand if you pay with more than 1000 euros for a service or, good you could be fined up to 2500 euros and the tax autorities have the right to investigate you if the case arises, the thing about the radars that you mention is something very common here, they are everywhere, also aerial helicopters for motorcycles, Spain is on its way to being a totalitarian state.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @justanumber OP 15 Jan

https://inspain.news/what-happens-if-you-make-cash-payments-over-e1000-in-spain/

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @justanumber OP 15 Jan

Take a look at this nostr note with video attached. Talking about cashless society. He mentions a $1000 cash limit. It's apparently from 2016. Wow, we are living it!

nostr:nevent1qqsfwx6yhggt7katpgnu47c57vuc0heycfzvj8q2v8wd8ldcmy3nzlgpr9mhxue69uhkummnw3ezuurvv43xx6rpd9hzummjvupzqxpnaczyt8lt9jj2u6gdtucjdxk53rrfuhlfqwjzk5evva7y4qtsqvzqqqqqqyvwhxts

15 sats \ 3 replies \ @OriginalSize 15 Jan

I'd probably start by looking at where no-camera policies are in place. All I can think of are concerts and travel security apparatus. Privacy ain't dead but it's on life support.

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @justanumber OP 15 Jan

Do you mean countries with no camera policies or general space? I meant countries to escape. I probably should have said that XD

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @OriginalSize 15 Jan

Since you're looking for a policy it seems to me there'd be a continuum from highly-localized policies like the ones I mentioned to broader city-side or state-wide policies. I've heard of some cities banning license plate scanners and facial recognition so that's another thread to pull. You ask some great questions. I bet you can find out a lot with a a few more hours of research.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @justanumber OP 15 Jan

You were the one who mentioned "policy" not me. This sounds like it was written by an AI bot btw

5 sats \ 1 reply \ @fm 15 Jan

It's getting crazy. Surveillance state.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @justanumber OP 15 Jan

idk maybe it was

35 sats \ 0 replies \ @justanumber OP 14 Jan

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12560987/Aldi-staff-given-body-worn-cameras-uptick-shoplifting.html

The Co-op has been giving staff body cameras since 2020

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @shado_op 15 Jan

In context, its not as bad as it seems...!! The supermarket/pub cameras are pure theatre. The Police dont show up for shoplifting. Everyone knows it. The cameras are used in the event of assault, which is getting worse and thats why some staff want them. The staff are minimum wage and have zero influence over their employer's policy, so wear what they're told to wear. In London, hundreds of emission zone cameras have been vandalised by protestors.

25 sats \ 1 reply \ @justanumber OP 15 Jan

Staff being assaulted and police not showing up for shoplifting are the excuses they want us to believe. They'll be running articles soon about how they've caught this or that criminal to get everyone onside for more surveillance.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @shado_op 15 Jan

Oh yeah, I agree, I'm just saying that although it might appear everyone is onside with our surveillance society, most are not, or not yet, anyway...