San Francisco Bay Area In Superbowl Surveillance Mode (wired.com)

An anonymous reader links to Wired's description of a surveillance society in miniature assembling right now in San Francisco: Super Bowl 50 will be big in every way. A hundred million people will watch the game on TV. Over the next ten days, 1 million people are expected to descend on the San Francisco Bay Area for the festivities. And, according to the FBI, 60 federal, state, and local agencies are working together to coordinate surveillance and security at what is the biggest national security event of the year.
Previous year's Superbowl security measures have included WMD sensors, database-backed facial recognition, and gamma-ray vehicle scanners. Given the fears and cautions in the air about this year's contest, it's easy to guess that the scanning and sensing will be even more prevalent this time.

Comments

It's not TSA-level security theater

[rmdingler]

But it's pretty close. Look. The venue for this and the next several Superbowls is announced years in advance... plenty of time for any number of threats to be prepared and installed outside the watchful eyes on the stadium (and the surrounding area) right before the big game.

Given the popularity of the sport and this game, it has to have occurred to those with a bone to pick versus the Americans what a powerful blow this would be.

The big question is, "Have the anti-UAV defenses been employed?"

Re:It's not TSA-level security theater

[Applehu Akbar]

"Given the popularity of the sport and this game, it has to have occurred to those with a bone to pick versus the Americans what a powerful blow this would be."

In this world there is religion, fundamentalist religion, and the Super Bowl. Perhaps the only reason why such an attack has not taken place is that everyone knows it would result in the immediate erasure of the Middle East. All of it.

Re: It's not TSA-level security theater

[dcw3]

Oh yeah, you ACs are probably all just trying to convince us to let our guard down. Die you nazi swine!

Re:It's not TSA-level security theater

[erp_consultant]

You know, it occurs to me that if some radical group really wanted to cause havoc at the Super Bowl they could. But they won't and it's not because of the security theater. It's because if such a thing were to occur the outrage would be so great that our politicians would be forced to act upon it. Every plane, every ship, every gun would be pointed squarely at those responsible and in a matter of days we could wipe them from the face of the earth.

Instead they engage in attacks that are much smaller in scale. Their objective is not to kill everyone. Their objective is to strike fear into everyone. And these smaller scale attacks are very successful at that. Not only that, it gives politicians cover by allowing them to claim that these are "isolated incidents" and not large scale attacks. Such is the nature of guerrilla warfare.

They slipped

[Anonymous Coward]

"Previous year's Superbowl security measures have included WMD sensors, database-backed facial recognition, and gamma-ray vehicle scanners."

All that and still they couldn't stop Janet Jackson's nipple.

Re:They slipped

[Darinbob]

That's because they didn't have database-backed nipple recognition.

Re:They read one Tom Clancy novel

[Nidi62]

And then they lose all sense of proportion.

At least the game isn't in Denver....

Re: That's DEPLOYED idiot!

[rmdingler]

Perhaps the UAV threat is itself a ploy,

and they'll hit you low while you're looking up?

Re:Sheesh

[PopeRatzo]

Timothy has been busy this weekend. All the other editors on holiday?

He's training his Chinese replacement.

Re:100 million ? Yeah right.

[bws111]

The population of the US is 318 million, which,last I looked, was far greater than the 100 million expected viewers of the Super Bowl. Also, the World Series, which happens in October, is baseball, and the Super Bowl, which happens in February, is American football. So, if you are not a troll, you are an idiot.

Re:And in 2 years

[Major Blud]

would just walk or run out into the road without looking

They are just trying to stay on top of their game. What better way to practice dodging and flynching? If you can avoid a car, you should be able to avoid a linebacker :-)

Re:100 million ? Yeah right.

[desdinova 216]

there's a third option, both

No thanks

[AndyKron]

Welcome to the land of the free. /s

Re:No thanks

[HiThere]

You inserted an extra "r" into that last word.

While examining potential security threats...

[Erbo]

...they'd better not forget the Goodyear blimp.

Re:This is all for show

[Actually, I do RTFA]

I'm sure that the radioactive material sensors can detect some percentage of people who try to make a dirty bomb. Maybe most of them. I don't really understand all technical issues, but I have no problem with that.

Bad guys are not binary: determined/uninformed. They have a skillset. 100% security is impossible. You'll never stop someone from stealing your life savings if they really want to and have skills and equipment. But you still would put it in a safe.

Which doesn't mean all these measures are good ideas. But I categorically reject "none of these matter" as categorically as I reject "all of these matter".

Re:They read one Tom Clancy novel

[SvnLyrBrto]

That's something at least. The game's not in San Francisco. We don't even have a football team or stadium anymore, after all.

That doesn't stop us form absorbing more than out share of the BS and headaches. And even worse, those nitwits in City Hall let the city get fleeced by the NFL. Santa Clara, at least, got it written into their contract that the NFL has to pay for all of their expenses. Ed Lee didn't bother to insist on a similar clause for San Francisco, so we're on the hook for all of the costs. At this point, I really hope it does pour down rain on the day of the game and that the black lives matter crowd really does manage to follow through on their promise to shut down "Superbowl City".

I'm personally affected

[LunaticTippy]

I ride my bicycle to work and pass the stadium daily. I ride past it on a bike path that goes along a creek. They have already shut down my bike path and several streets, and according to the newspaper things won't begin to reopen for nearly 2 weeks.

It was impressive to see the enormous structures they're building around the stadium for one game. They brought in the same cranes they use to build skyscrapers to erect the most massive shade structure I've ever seen.

I'm amazed at how much money is being spent for this game. It is offensive that they feel entitled to shut down roads and trails for weeks for a frickin game.

Be prepaired

[sjames]

All of that hoopla and theater and nobody thought to bring a NIST certified air gauge?