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Digital Fourth

@digital4th.bsky.social
66 followers 53 following 34 posts

The Massachusetts campaign to protect ourselves & our data from unconstitutional government surveillance. Based in Cambridge, Belmont, Boston and Somerville since 2012. Sign up at www.warrantless.org

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Digital Fourth
Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 23/07/2026
We are ending our partnership with the Legion of Doom and proud to announce our new partnership with the Masters of Evil.
axios.com
Douglas County sheriff swaps Flock for Axon
The sheriff says privacy concerns and lost trust drove the switch.
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Cambridge DSA 🌹 @cambridgedsa.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Also, to underscore TBR's point about fireworks making the system even less accurate, this comes up in the Shotspotter contract! (courtesy Alex Marthews at @digital4th.bsky.social)
Service Level Exclusions and Modifications

ShotSpotter takes commercially reasonable efforts to maintain Service Levels at all times. However, Service Level performance during New Year's Eve and Independence Day and the 48-hour periods before and after these holidays, are specifically excluded from Service Level standards. During these excluded periods, because of the large amount of fireworks activity, ShotSpotter uses fireworks suppression techniques.
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Cambridge DSA 🌹 @cambridgedsa.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
This was a triumph of organizing. Over two City Council hearings, almost 60 people spoke up against ShotSpotter. Their testimonies capped off years of tireless advocacy from a broad coalition including The Black Response, Digital Fourth, SURJ Boston, Cambridge for Palestine, and Cambridge DSA.
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Digital Fourth @digital4th.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
update: they did
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Digital Fourth @digital4th.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Cambridge City Council voted tonight to revoke authorization for ShotSpotter real-time audio monitoring of poorer areas for gunfire-like sounds. We started work on this issue in 2016, shortly after the microphones were installed; the amazing Saul Tannenbaum alerted us to the problem.
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Alt National Park Service @altnps.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
The Trump administration has been building a system to strip legal permanent residents of their green cards, and now they have a dedicated unit to start pulling the trigger. Internal data obtained by the New York Times shows this new DHS unit has already reviewed nearly 2,900 cases,
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Digital Fourth @digital4th.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
The Massachusetts Consumer Data Privacy Act is one of the strongest bills in any state legislature. Call your state rep. today to tell them you support real data privacy! warrantless.org/2026/02/supp...
Image reads, "Protect Data Privacy Now! Your life should not be mined for profit."
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Digital Fourth @digital4th.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
.@whipkclark.bsky.social really saw an issue where 9% of Democrats felt FISA should be reauthorized, and 80% thought it should be reformed or repealed, and thought yeah that sounds about 50-50 let's not whip Dems now what harm can Trump really do with FISA powers demandprogress.org/wp-content/u...
demandprogress.org
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Kelsey Atherton @atherton.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
what is the fucking point of an opposition party that acts like this
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Brix Boston @brixboston100.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
People have gotten defensive when I dare question #Democrats about the #unconstitutional and #fascist over-reach they naively legislate at local, state, and federal levels These are UNPRECEDENTED times We have expectations The tyrants don't pretend to be our allies You're acting like frenemies 🧵⏬
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Digital Fourth @digital4th.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Well done @whipkclark.bsky.social this is making you look just great people are really picking up on the subtlety of the whole "this bill is garbage but we won't whip on it because the caucus is divided and Jim Himes is good people" approach bsky.app/profile/prem...
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Liza Goitein @lizagoitein.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
In a dramatic scene that unfolded in the wee hours this morning, members of the House defeated a ploy by the administration and Speaker Johnson to ram through a 5-year reauthorization of FISA Section 702. Here’s what happened, and what will/should happen next. 1/20
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Matt Wood @mattfieldwood.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Here's the full takedown of Johnson's and House GOP leadership's fake warrant ploy, from @lizagoitein.bsky.social and @hannahajames.bsky.social at the @brennancenter.org. #FISA #Section702 #FakeWarrant #VoteNO @housedemocrats.bsky.social
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Matt Wood @mattfieldwood.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
As @wyden.senate.gov would tell you -- with experts at @brennancenter.org @cdt.org @demandprogress.bsky.social @pogo.org and @aclu.org -- Mike Johnson's "deal" actually broadens the use of 702 data for standard criminal cases, and does nothing to stop backdoor searches. It's a fake warrant. Vote NO.
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Matt Wood @mattfieldwood.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Vote NO on Mike Johnson's fake warrant for FISA 702, @housedemocrats.bsky.social @hakeem-jeffries.bsky.social @aguilar.house.gov @usprogressives.bsky.social. As @raskin.house.gov & @repmcgovern.bsky.social said on the Floor, this midnight-hour nonsense adds no protections and makes 702 worse.
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Matt Wood @mattfieldwood.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
Conservative Ohio congressman Warren Davidson with an important op-ed in @thehill.com about the need to reform Section 702 if Congress reauthorizes it, and to close the loophole that lets law enforcement skirt your Fourth Amendment rights with cash. thehill.com/opinion/cong...
thehill.com
Americans’ Fourth Amendment rights are not for sale
The FBI has admitted to purchasing commercially available data to track Americans’ movements and location histories, and Congress has the opportunity to close the data broker loophole and ren…
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Digital Fourth @digital4th.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Thank you @masspirates.bsky.social for your help and publicity!
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Digital Fourth @digital4th.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
Join us to protest Rep. Katherine Clark's silence on President Trump's AI-driven warrantless surveillance of Americans, at her office in Malden on Wednesday at 4pm! warrantless.org/clark-protest/
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DeFlock Redmond @deflock-redmond.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Another story on abuse of mass #surveillance data! 😩 "in 'one month‘s time,' the sheriff queried his wife’s license plate number approximately 152 times. His stated purpose was to assess the system’s reliability before a contract decision." Ban ALPRs! 🚫 #deflock #alpr
kmvt.com
Jerome County sheriff used Flock cameras to search for wife’s vehicle, documents show
Documents obtained by KMVT revealed the sheriff was under investigation leading up to his announcement.
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DeFlock Redmond @deflock-redmond.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
⚠️ "Every city council gets the same pitch. 1. Only your agency controls your data 2. Federal agencies do not have direct access 3. Nobody from Flock is accessing your footage None survive the paperwork. The reality is that non-sworn city staff have access. As do Flock employees. As does the FBI."
haveibeenflocked.com
The Platform: Flock Safety Is Running on Promises, Not Policy
Flock Safety's three campaign promises — local control, no federal access, no employee access — are contradicted by Dunwoody PD audit logs, an FBI criminal complaint, and a Flock training video record...
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Andrew Guthrie Ferguson @profferguson.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
Your data will be used against you (and be wrong).
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Andrew Guthrie Ferguson @profferguson.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
#BookSky and #BlueSky family interested “Your Data Will Be Used Against You: Policing in the Age of Self-Surveillance” (released yesterday), here is a free excerpt from the book. @spectrum.ieee.org spectrum.ieee.org/digital-surv...
spectrum.ieee.org
Caught by Your Own Devices: The Rise of Sensorveillance
Your car just called the cops on you. Find out how smart tech is changing the nature of surveillance.
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Digital Fourth @digital4th.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
Write your Congressmember to say No To Mass Government Surveillance! Cosponsor PLEWSA/GSRA!. Write one here: actionnetwork.org/letters/no-t...
actionnetwork.org
No To Mass Government Surveillance! Cosponsor PLEWSA/GSRA!
Speaker Mike Johnson is trying to ram through a reauthorization of the government's powers under FISA to spy on US persons' communications without a warrant, and without suspicion of any of us being i...
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DeFlock Redmond @deflock-redmond.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
A great rundown from @chadmarlow.bsky.social "maybe they need to think about whether or not we should actually be keeping a location dossier on every single person in the country, because any one of us *could* turn out to be a criminal? That seems like a decidedly un-American perspective" #deflock
youtu.be
Mass Surveillance EXPOSED as Plate Trackers Spread Nationwide
YouTube video by Legal AF
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Chris Dwan (he/him) @somershade.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
My latest for the @csindie.bsky.social: Some grants are more trouble than they are worth, and overtime is a dumb way to provide core services. csindie.com/somerville-c...
csindie.com
Somerville could have skipped these police grants that come with strings attached - Cambridge | Somerville Independent
The Somerville City Council accepted nearly $200,000 for the police department on Thursday. The debate was fractious, with stress spilling over from a chaotic Finance Committee meeting on Tuesday into...
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DeFlock Redmond @deflock-redmond.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
"There is no mechanism to discover which agencies are using what custom hotlists, or for a person to discover whether they are on a custom hotlist, to challenge their inclusion, or to request removal. There is no judicial review, no expiration requirement, and no independent audit." #deflock #alpr
haveibeenflocked.com
Flock's Hot Lists are a Hot Mess
800 custom hotlist entries from a Texas constable's office reveal vague reasons, indefinite surveillance, and instructions to manufacture probable cause.
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dell cameron @dell.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
NEW: A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a bill requiring warrants for FBI searches of Americans' communications under FISA, aligning federal law w/ a 2025 ruling that found the practice unconstitutional. It would also ban the government from buying Americans' private data from data brokers.
wired.com
US Lawmakers Move to Kill the FBI’s Warrantless Wiretap Access
A bipartisan bill would force the FBI to get a warrant to read Americans’ messages and ban the federal purchase of commercial data on US residents ahead of a critical April deadline.
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vp.net @vpnet.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
🔴 Surviving Surveillance Livestream with Stephen Perez of Restore The Fourth (RT4) - 3/14 @ 4pm ET Section 702 is the backdoor used to bypass your Fourth Amendment rights. Join us and Stephen Perez from Restore The Fourth to learn how to fight back. 🛡️ Link in the first reply! 🔗
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Digital Fourth @digital4th.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Boston PD's general attitude to public records requests, whether filed by us or by members of the City Council, is to ignore them, which is a hell of an attitude to the law for a "law enforcement agency." flipsidenews.net/city-hasnt-d...
flipsidenews.net
City hasn't disclosed BPD's communications with feds
Three Boston city councillors last week filed formal requests for information from the Boston Police Department about its collaboration and information sharing with federal law enforcement.
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DeFlock Redmond @deflock-redmond.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
A victory for community vigilance and local journalism over an attempt to sneakily install dragnet #surveillance infrastructure in a small town! 🏆 There are shorter summaries, but these are the original local reporting and are well worth the time to read. #deflock #alpr 1/4
newpineplainsherald.org
First Came the Pink Paint, Then Came Questions About Surveillance - The New Pine Plains Herald
Markings for automatic license-plate reader cameras unsettled Pine Plains residents and officials, who said no contract had been granted to Flock Safety, a multibillion-dollar surveillance company.
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Chris Dwan (he/him) @somershade.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
The vote for helmets, shields, and batons passes with only Councilor Scott opposed. The vote for surveillance software passes with (I think) only Councilor Scott opposed. The vote on the fucking basketball game is six to five. The cops get their overtime for basketball. 35/?
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Digital Fourth @digital4th.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
We filed comments to Somerville City Council too on their 2026 Annual Surveillance Report, that seeks reauthorization of around 13 surveillance techs. We object to 7: GrayKey, ShotSpotter, Pole cameras, Safety Stick, and various CCTV cameras (Fire Station/GLX/DHS) warrantless.org/wp-content/u...
warrantless.org
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Digital Fourth @digital4th.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
We filed comments to the Cambridge City Council on the 2026 Annual Surveillance Report, that seeks authorization of around 75 surveillance technologies. We object to 8: ALPR, ShotSpotter, CCTV at Central Sq, BRIC, Magnet Forensics, Covert Cameras, police use of Sprout Social, & remote meter readers
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Kate Ross @kateross.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
'Flock Flocked up' How a license plate camera misread unraveled one man's life. Horrifying story of Flock misreading plates. The driver was then mauled by a police dog while officers comment he is acting like a petulant child. The license plates weren't stolen, and he was the registered owner
businessinsider.com
AI cameras are everywhere — and people are paying the price for their mistakes
Flock Safety's license plate readers are used by police in thousands of communities. When the cameras make mistakes, the consequences can be severe.
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Digital Fourth @digital4th.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
Tech companies and data brokers collect, analyze, store, and sell our most personal data to anyone, including the government. We need a modern privacy law in MA to protect us all from harm! TAKE ACTION: actionnetwork.org/letters/tell...
actionnetwork.org
Tell Your State Representative: Pass Enforceable Privacy Legislation
Today, technology has far outpaced privacy law. Data brokers and Big Tech are free to do almost anything they want with our personal information, including selling our cellphone location data on the o...
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Digital Fourth @digital4th.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
The whole "thing" about Anthropic not being willing to do "mass surveillance on Americans" is frankly a bid of a head-fake restorethe4th.com/why-bother-q...
restorethe4th.com
Why Bother "Querying" FISA Databases When You Can "Prompt" Instead? - Restore the Fourth
In April, the government’s surveillance powers under Section 702 of FISA will expire. Since 2015, Congress’s efforts to rein in the surveillance state have largely focused on the NSA’s “FISA 702 datab...
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Chris Dwan (he/him) @somershade.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
Friends, I am LIVE AND IN THE CHAMBERS for tonight's meeting of the Somerville City Council. Also here are a few dozen people, carrying signs and singing. As Vice President @wilfredmbah.bsky.social gavels the meeting into order, they file out. Lotta police too. 1/?
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vp.net @vpnet.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
@digital4th.bsky.social is our Hide & Speak Hero of the Week for their tireless efforts to get Flock Safety cameras removed from Cambridge, Massachusetts. #DigitalFourth #CambridgeMA #FlockSafety #Surveillance 👇 Continued below 👇
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Digital Fourth @digital4th.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
Victory in Cambridge! With the help of @aclum.bsky.social, @masspirates.bsky.social , @cambridgedsa.bsky.social, @aaup.org and all the members of the public who testified against it, we have ended the use of Flock Safety cameras in Cambridge, MA! www.cambridgeday.com/2025/12/10/c...
cambridgeday.com
City cancels deal for license plate tech - Cambridge Day
Cambridge drops Flock Safety after company acknowledges it installed cameras against the orders of the city council.
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Massachusetts Pirate Party @masspirates.bsky.social · 01/11/2025
Thanks to @purplebandanna.bsky.social , @digital4th.bsky.social and others for coming out today. Looking forward to coming back to @boston-a-bookfair.bsky.social tomorrow. See you at noon!
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404 Media @404media.co · 29/05/2025
Podcast: ICE's 'Backdoor' Into a Nationwide AI Surveillance Network 🔗 www.404media.co/podcast-ices...
404media.co
Podcast: ICE's 'Backdoor' Into a Nationwide AI Surveillance Network
How ICE is accessing data from Flock cameras; a new invasive surveillance product; and the radical changes made at AI platform Civitai.
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dell cameron @dell.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
New: DHS tells police to brace for the anti-ICE movement to grow much bigger in threat bulletins last month that lists ordinary behavior, like riding a skateboard or livestreaming, as threatening to law enforcement. By me w/ records by @propertyofthepeople.org:
wired.com
Skateboards and Livestreams: DHS Tells Police That Common Protest Activities Are ‘Violent Tactics’
DHS is urging law enforcement to treat even skateboarding and livestreaming as signs of violent intent during a protest, turning everyday behavior into a pretext for police action.
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Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
Police who keep their identities secret are, quite literally, secret police. I don’t know why this is even controversial. You don’t get to yank people off the streets while hiding your face and identity and still retain the respectability of an accountable, democratic police force.
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Shava Nerad @shava23.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
Tom the Dancing Bug says what has to be said. substackcdn.com/image/fetch/...
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Stop Surveillance City @stopsurveillance.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
Don't get excited, Flock is training law enforcement agencies on what to write in the search reason field. Functionally just telling them to stop using terms like "abortion," "ICE", & "immigration" Surveillance can't provide safety because it isn't designed to. Surveillance is control, not safety
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Stop Surveillance City @stopsurveillance.bsky.social · 22/06/2025
Deadline to submit comment to Seattle IT against SPD's proposed expansions of CCTV cameras & FUSUS is tomorrow 6/23. stopsurveillancecity.wordpress.com/take-action/ Nashville stopped pursuing FUSUS in April due to Trump & ICE's ability to access it nashvillebanner.com/2025/04/28/m...
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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 20/06/2025
So according to ICE, there was a pack of armed masked men *pretending* to be them at Dodger Stadium? Uh ....
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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 17/06/2025
One month apart.
A screenshot of a Wired article by Dell Cameron and Dhruv Mehrotra, published May 14, 2025, with the headline: "CFPB Quietly Kills Rule to Shield Americans From Data Brokers."
A screenshot of a Wired article by Lily Hay Newman, published June 16, 2025, with the headline: "Minnesota Shooting Suspect Allegedly Used Data Broker Sites to Find Targets' Addresses."
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