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NYPD faces backlash as it prepares to encrypt radio communications | New York | The Guardian
(www.theguardian.com)
this post was submitted on 04 Jan 2024
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They probably have to be (or try to be) vague about it, sending info through other means because it's unencrypted and broadcasted to everyone. But when I listened to, there were addresses, license plates, what was happening and so on. You need to exchange some level of info, would be pointless to have the radios otherwise. And when exchanging such info, better to have it be encrypted.
And yet you're unwilling to indiscriminately broadcast the info here. Even if you don't seem to knowingly recognize the difference between the info being public in some form and broadcasting it indiscriminately to anyone wanting to listen, you don't want to share it here because you know it's different.
I’ve had my license plate run before, it’s been broadcast over the county radio system, and I couldn’t care less.
I’ve also had my name in the newspaper, again I don’t really care.
I’d be more than happy telling random people offline my license plate number, because I don’t care.
In fact, I myself have said my license plate number over an open radio frequency.
But you’re essentially asking me to dox myself and remove my online anonymity, which is a major difference. It’s not comparable to having the info randomly said over an open radio, it just isn’t.
You know what else I would do over a radio, but not here? Announce my name. Mention the city I live in. Say my address. All specifically because I’m using this username.
Now, if this was legitimately anonymous, impossible to trace, a username not connected to me? Fuck yeah, I’d say my license plate. Because it would be meaningless. A drop in the bucket of millions of license plates. But you’re asking me to connect my identities.
The difference you’re talking about is all down to level of effort. On one hand I can listen to a radio, on the other I submit a form online (and get a hell of a lot more detail.)
I'm asking you to broadcast your license plate on open internet with enough info to connect it to a certain situation, as might happen when stuff is said on radio for anyone to hear. Sucky situation, especially if you're a victim of a crime.
They should've encrypted it a long ago.
I think you’re well aware that a username with death threats, linking with a real identity, is much different than broadcasting “run this license plate is it clean?”
And why exactly are we broadcasting the license plate of a victim?…