3 days ago
Power users.
Posted Jul 21, 2025 at 6:08 PM UTC
Purportedly searching for illegal cannabis grow houses, the Sacramento Municipal Utilities District (SMUD) has been tipping off police about 'high' electricity usage based on smart meter readings.
The EFF is suing, saying it's flagged Asian customers specifically, as 'SMUD analysts deemed one home suspicious because it was '4k [kWh], Asian,' and another suspicious because 'multiple Asians have reported there,'' while the cops sent accusatory 'nastygrams' to suspected homes in only English and Chinese. SMUD also admitted that 'high' readings could come from air conditioning, electric vehicles, and even Christmas lights. When Your Power Meter Becomes a Tool of Mass Surveillance
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