LF: Feds use private companies to spy on cars, bicyclists and pedestrians

According to an article in the Knoxville New Sentinel, the City of Knoxville is spending close to $9 million to help ~~spy on~~ manage congested intersections in the future.

Recently, a company called GRIDSMART (GS) donated smart "traffic-time ~~spying~~ collection devices" to allegedly help the city manage intersections.

We've seen corporations use this tactic before with license plate readers, breathalyzers, Stingray surveillance, police body cameras and Lidar guns.

In fact, the GEICO insurance company collaborated with Laser Technology to develop the LTI 20/20 laser gun so they could raise insurance premiums of speeders.

"The late Ed Utley, CEO of GEICO Insurance Company read an article in Popular Science Magazine featuring the LTI 20/20 and how it neutralized radar detectors. Utley was so passionate about defeating detector usage he tried to raise premiums on policy holders that admitted to using them.

This aggressive stance eventually failed a legal challenge so Mr. Utley contacted David Williams, the President and CEO of Laser Technology, to discuss how the two companies might work together. As a result, a grateful Ed Utley proclaimed, "LTI is doing God's work," lending the company enough money to turn the working demonstration lasers into a manned commercial production line from which the first "Marksman" was born."

A Google search for 'insurance companies donate money to police' returned 6.2 million hits! (Click here, here & here to find out more about 'GEICO Guns.')

Corporations and Police Foundations donating smart technology, safety or spying equipment to police departments and cities always comes with a price, our privacy.

"At least with public contracts and spending, there's a facade of transparency and accountability," Ana Muniz said. "With private partnerships, with private technology, there's nothing."

GS works with Amazon to spy on vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians

According to a GS document their bell shaped cameras, spy on vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians. GS boasts about delivering "unmatched accuracy" in tracking vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians. A GS Whitepaper also boasts about collecting information from smart cars.

"In the more distant future, Connected Vehicle Applications/V2Iapplications like updating intersection maps, identifying in secure vehicles, and/or vehicle spoofing attacks are currently being worked on and will be necessary for safely enabling and managing connected vehicles on the roadway."

"I also see fewer tolling gantries because you can provide information using wireless communication through your infotainment system or navigation unit in your car Randy Iwasaki, executive director, Contra Costa County, Calif., Transportation Authority said.

Fyi, Iwasaki serves on GS's Board of Directors.

GS also works with Denso International of America to spy on vehicle to infrastructure, bicyclists, and pedestrians.

"GS's single-camera intersection management system will provide a link between vehicles with and without smart transportation technology."

Under the 'GRIDSMART Cloud' section, GS admits their system is based entirely on Amazon Web Services (AWS).

"AWS and GRIDSMART Technologies have a close partnership..."

A GS 'Technical Specification' document boasts about their ability to track vehicles and a GS 'Pedestrian Module' boasts about tracking pedestrians.

Where does spying on the public end?

"GRIDSMART is an established provider of cost effective systems for intersection control, data collection and situational awareness." As I mentioned in my April 14th., 'Police UAV' article when you hear police or corporations use "situational awareness" it's really a euphemism for surveillance.

Last year, I warned everyone that turning cities into 'smart cities' is really about 'government spying on an unimaginable scale'.

Selling our privacy to corporations, mean's law enforcement can ignore the Bill of Rights and use corporations to spy on the public without a warrant. (click here, here & here to find out more.)