Comment by nullbio
1 day ago
Now imagine that none of that is relevant because we're not talking about listening devices or communication tapping.
This is just false equivalence, and this false equivalence is why people are immediately so defensive of anyone who suggest Flock is a good idea in principle.
As for the 'full name and address', also not relevant, Flock is not obtaining either of these details.
If I can track your car, I can determine if you went to a protest. If I can determine if you went to a protest, then I can punish your speech.
99% of the people who attend protests take their phone with them. Furthermore, Flock does not prove you participated in a protest. What if you were going to a shop near a protest? What if you were going to the park? This would never be considered sufficient evidence for anything actionable.
Also what's to say you aren't counter-protesting?
It would be pretty easy to determine most people's basic political alignment (e.g. party registration is public record) and therefore which side of a protest someone was on. I don't think it is likely that an authoritarian government would care if they could prove that you were actually at the protest. Even just prosecuting someone, even if it has no chance of success, is a significant punishment.