Surveillance in GTA Reflects Real-World Tensions | Tech News

0:00On September 9th, so there's this mod for Grand Theft Auto 5 that drops 235 surveillance cameras all over the game world. It's basically a jab at those flat cameras you see in real life. In the game, you can shoot them, smash them, whatever, and get paid 600 bucks for each one. The developer actually priced that based on how much it costs to take one of those real flat cameras apart. These in-game cameras keep track of everything, logging when you wreck one, or even just drive past it. You can even build a whole photo album of your camera destroying adventures. It's kind of wild because in the real world, people have been going after flat cameras too, using everything from spray paint to bullets and even fire. Reports show these cameras have been vandalized in at least 36 different states. But it's not just about the fun of destruction. These cameras in the game also act like an extension of the police. If you're trying to escape the cops and you pass by one of these cameras, it actually makes the cooldown period longer, making it harder to get away.

1:02In some parts of the game, they're so dense it can make it almost impossible to play. The developer behind this mod, Coleman, says these cameras create dangerous situations because they're inaccurate and lead to aggressive responses. He's hoping players get a sense of how inescapable surveillance can feel through this game. Meanwhile, in the real world, the Los Angeles Police Department actually stopped using flat cameras this summer. Other states are starting to pull back too, with governors in Texas and Florida taking steps to limit their use. It looks like across the country, there were over 100 flat contract cancellations just last August. I'm Cory with the story, that's your tech news today update, AI powered and always on.