Instagram influencers are stirring trouble with fake cease-and-desist letters targeting Flock surveillance cameras. Noah Orion, a prolific Instagram user, posted a fabricated letter supposedly from Flock’s legal team 16 times. His stunt earned him over 30,000 new followers in just one month. Orion proudly declared, “Cities are now covering Flock cameras with trash bags” and admitted, “I could go to jail soon, and I am not afraid of that.”
Flock’s cameras scan billions of vehicles monthly across multiple U.S. states, but city officials aren’t thrilled. The LAPD has suspended their use, and several other cities canceled contracts amid citizen backlash. Flock insists their technology worked correctly in a Minnesota case involving stolen license plates. Still, public distrust remains high, fueled by activists like Orion who even distribute “Fuck Flock” stickers sized to cover camera lenses.
Meanwhile, TikTok Shop creators and brands are turning to generative AI to churn out shoppable videos by the hundreds. AI videos often look uncanny, flouting real-world physics and failing to match human influencers’ engagement. Some brands automate content production to replicate successful influencer posts without paying creators. SharkNinja, a vacuum and smoothie maker, banned AI-generated videos from its affiliate program. The practice raises legal risks, including potential FTC violations. The EU and New York already mandate disclosures when synthetic characters appear in ads.
TikTok’s U.S. sales are forecasted to hit $23 billion by 2026, dwarfed by Amazon’s projected $500 billion. The platform saw 10 million shoppable videos during key e-commerce periods, a number AI automation could inflate. Fraudulent sellers also exploit AI to create fake storefronts, adding a layer of complexity to regulatory efforts against scams.
Meta’s latest foray into wearable tech, the oval-framed Meta glasses, debuted to immediate ridicule. Despite selling 7 million pairs last year, the new design sparked backlash on social media. Critics and celebrities like Lorde slammed the glasses, with Lorde bluntly advising at a Madrid festival, “Don’t get the glasses. Not sexy.” Online comments called them “predator glasses” and “such a scary product for a WOMAN to be supporting.”
Meta plans to add facial recognition features like “NameTag” to these glasses but hasn’t decided yet. Meta’s CTO Andrew Bosworth pointed to benefits for people with disabilities. Meta pledged to provide free glasses to 130,000 blind military veterans who request them. Still, the glasses are marketed mainly as consumer products, not disability aids. Meta spokesman Carl Woog stressed, “Should we decide to make something like this available, it will be our responsibility to do so with a thoughtful approach that protects people’s privacy.”
Based on
- The Rise of Anti-Flock Influencers Who Make Things Up for Clout — 404media.co
- Another grim portent for our AI policing future. | The Verge — theverge.com
- TikTok Shop creators are facing an AI reckoning | Business Insider Africa — africa.businessinsider.com
- Police say Flock cameras help solve crimes, but critics call them an invasion of privacy | PBS News Hour Classroom — pbs.org
- Kylie Jenner introduced her new Meta glasses. The backlash began. | Business Insider Africa — africa.businessinsider.com
