Philly Police Admit They Disguised a Spy Truck as a Google Streetview Car

[Arty]

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/philly-police-admit-they-disguised-a-spy-truck-as-a-google-streetview-car

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/this-isnt-a-google-streetview-car-its-a-government-spy-truck

Quote

Update: The Philadelphia Police Department has admitted it owns the truck, and is launching an inquiry into why it was disguised as a Google vehicle.

An SUV tucked away in the shadows of the Philadelphia Convention Center’s tunnel bears the ubiquitous logo for Google Maps, and mounted on top of the vehicle are two high-powered license plate reader cameras. To the average passerby, it might appear to be a Google street view vehicle.

Others, such as Matt Blaze, a University of Pennsylvania computer and information science professor, saw it for what it truly was: a crudely disguised tool for surveillance. Blaze tweeted a photo of the vehicle with the appropriate opening: “WTF?”

See also: Why Won't Cops Share the License Plate Data They Collect? 

Blaze’s baffled pronouncement is appropriate. Why would a government agency need to disguise a surveillance vehicle like this? And which agency believes it needs to do so?

TL:DR

City has a Spy car that looks like street view car.

 

MOFO, thats just a dick move, and stupid.

[Guest]

Hello wan show

 

[dalekphalm]

I'm highly surprised that Google isn't busy suing the crap out of the City of Philadelphia. They used Trademarked Google imagery and copyrighted material without permission.

[Aytex]

thats such a dick move

[PlayStation 2]

9 minutes ago, dalekphalm said:

I'm highly surprised that Google isn't busy suing the crap out of the City of Philadelphia. They used Trademarked Google imagery and copyrighted material without permission.

My sentiments exactly. Not to mention that there's better vehicles to copycat a Google Street View car with outside of a fucking truck.

[Enviousx]

10 minutes ago, dalekphalm said:

I'm highly surprised that Google isn't busy suing the crap out of the City of Philadelphia. They used Trademarked Google imagery and copyrighted material without permission.

inb4 they're building a case and take them to court. 

This surely has to be down right illegal?

 

Inc Wan segment

[AyeJayKay]

Another example of abuse of government power... and here people were thinking bigger government will solve the problem.

[Arty]

1 minute ago, Enviousx said:

 

This surely has to be down right illegal?

 

 

When has this EVER stopped the United States Government. 

[Enviousx]

1 minute ago, Arty said:

When has this EVER stopped the United States Government. 

Good point. Afterall, the courts are ran by the government so surely they're going to loose the case anyways?

 

-edit

 

If it goes to court that is

[TeoIzAwezome]

It doesn't even look like an actual Street View car.

[dalekphalm]

2 minutes ago, Enviousx said:

Good point. Afterall, the courts are ran by the government so surely they're going to loose the case anyways?

 

-edit

 

If it goes to court that is

In all likelihood, Google's lawyers will say "Don't do that again", and that'll be the end of it. Or they'll settle out of court *Two weeks later, entire Philly Police Department outfitted with Google Nexus devices*

[Arty]

1 minute ago, dalekphalm said:

In all likelihood, Google's lawyers will say "Don't do that again", and that'll be the end of it. Or they'll settle out of court *Two weeks later, entire Philly Police Department outfitted with Google Nexus devices*

what would be funny is "philly police banned from all google services." 

[SteinerW]

theres probably some exception in the law that allows this. If there's not, they'll probably make one.

[aisle9]

It'd be awesome if Googling "Philadelphia police" rerouted to the I Feel Lucky result for "asshole".

[Aytex]

4 minutes ago, aisle9 said:

It'd be awesome if Googling "Philadelphia police" rerouted to the I Feel Lucky result for "asshole".

the reviews though

[Arty]

1 minute ago, Aytex said:

 

the reviews though

all the prescients took a hit lol. 

[royalcrown]

Well, the police are just like ANY other sector of society, you have the people that act with decency and integrity, who want to always do what is right, not just legal. Amoral ass hats who who do what they can get away with are the other end of the spectrum, and a whole gradient of in between. That's the "WHY" IMO.

[Kherm]

That's priceless

Yeah, Philly police are pretty trash, thankfully it's better out by me. 

[royalcrown]

5 minutes ago, Kherm said:

That's priceless

Yeah, Philly police are pretty trash, thankfully it's better out by me. 

It makes me feel badly for the good cops who are cops for the right reasons. I have nothing against police in general, just sociopaths and power trips (CEO's, DR's etc ...not cops in general)

[Centurius]

Meh, they disguise their vehicles as belonging to companies all the time. Nothing wrong with it.

[dalekphalm]

13 minutes ago, Centurius said:

Meh, they disguise their vehicles as belonging to companies all the time. Nothing wrong with it.

Normally they're disguising their vehicles as fictional companies.

 

Don't know about you, but if I was a business owner, I sure as hell wouldn't want the cops driving around a stakeout van with my Logo on it. If they want to use my logo, they have to negotiate with me to get permission.

[Suika]

21 minutes ago, Centurius said:

Meh, they disguise their vehicles as belonging to companies all the time. Nothing wrong with it.

I wouldn't dare support a company that would allow police to use their company as a disguise for a speed trap or anything of the like, I can't imagine many other people supporting it. It's disgusting that police do this at all.

 

I don't mind police watching roadways to keep traffic in check, because we don't need assholes doing 20+ over, but I do mind robots checking license plates and sending tickets to whomever the plate belonged to. That's just a pathetic money grab and a hidden and unfair tax upon the population.

[Centurius]

15 minutes ago, dalekphalm said:

Normally they're disguising their vehicles as fictional companies.

 

Don't know about you, but if I was a business owner, I sure as hell wouldn't want the cops driving around a stakeout van with my Logo on it. If they want to use my logo, they have to negotiate with me to get permission.

Not in my experience, and as a business owner I wouldn't mind. A properly organized criminal group can see through fictional companies, if using a real one helps maintaining cover. So be it.

1 minute ago, Suika said:

I wouldn't dare support a company that would allow police to use their company as a disguise for a speed trap or anything of the like, I can't imagine many other people supporting it. It's disgusting that police do this at all.

 

I don't mind police watching roadways to keep traffic in check, because we don't need assholes doing 20+ over, but I do mind robots checking license plates and sending tickets to whomever the plate belonged to. That's just a pathetic money grab and a hidden and unfair tax upon the population.

Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time.

[dalekphalm]

2 minutes ago, Centurius said:

Not in my experience, and as a business owner I wouldn't mind. A properly organized criminal group can see through fictional companies, if using a real one helps maintaining cover. So be it.

Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time.

I would mind, depending on what they are up to. If they're scoping out a criminal organization, or some terrorists, then sure. But if they're just trying to catch speeders? Hells no.

 

Also, no matter what, I would demand that they get proper permission before using anything related to my business. If that also meant financial compensation, then so be it.

[Suika]

2 minutes ago, Centurius said:

Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time.

I do the crime all the time because I can afford it, but thanks for your concern, as condescending as it appears.