Doctor Doom Shows Up to Support Seattle’s Surveillance Network

The Stunt

Ahead of the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday movie, its titular supervillain apparently made a stop at Seattle City Council this week. A man dressed as the Marvel villain spoke Tuesday at the council's Public Safety Committee meeting, telling the panel that Doom had taken over Axon and was now "watching you."

The Message

"Doom has total dominion over the city of Seattle. Doom will be behind the cameras watching those seeking reproductive or gender-affirming care. Doom will be able to find your immigrant neighbors, and Doom will be able to ensure the safety of the women of Seattle alongside officers that stalk their exes," the man said.

The Activist

As you may have gathered by now, Doctor Doom wasn't actually trying to sell people on the tech. 404 Media reports that the man dressed as Doom is actually Clifford Cawthon, a policy advisor for the Washington State Department of Commerce and a member of the local activist group Community Not Cameras. The group is pushing back against Seattle's use of surveillance systems from companies like Flock and Axon.

Surveillance Technology

The stunt comes amid growing scrutiny of automatic license plate readers. Companies like Flock and Axon sell the technology to law enforcement agencies. The systems scan license plates as vehicles pass, collecting vehicle information along with the time and location they were spotted. Police can then search that data during investigations.

Privacy Concerns and Backlash

Privacy advocates warn that the cameras collect location data on millions of people who are not suspected of crimes, often without a warrant, probable cause, or reasonable suspicion. The backlash has been particularly intense against Flock. Some cities have cut ties with the company, while protesters elsewhere have taken matters into their own hands by tearing down cameras.

San Diego Precedent

Cawthon told 404 Media that he got the idea to dress as Doctor Doom after seeing another activist dress as Darth Vader at a San Diego City Council meeting last month. Vader also sarcastically endorsed the surveillance technology, telling council members that "The Emperor is a fan of